Huntress

The elegant feline shadow,
Ever-stalking, silent, free,
The paw prints in the moonlight,
A shudder from the tree,

A whisper in the darkness,
A quiver in her orange eyes,
The tiny rodents scatter,
Which one? She must decide,

One scurries into nearby bushes,
One makes a survival wish,
For only now they realise,
Exactly who they're dealing with,

Target locked, claws unsheathed,
Footsteps so quiet,
The ever-mounting dread,
For they know they're on her diet,

Steps as soundless as water,
Fur as pure as night,
The money's on the hunter,
But they won't go down without a fight,

Suddenly it happens,
Her head whirls around,
One look and she pounces,
And a twitching mouse is on the ground,

For a moment, she looks away,
And her catch makes one last run,
But in his heart he knows it,
However fast he flees, she has won,

His tiny body collapses,
He can take no more,
He would rather get it over with,
Without too much gore,

In a blur she has him,
Locked tightly in her jaws,
His final breath has already passed,
Underneath her paws,

Gracefully, she retreats, victorious,
In her head she says, "one down",
She curls up on a pillow,
And closes her eyes, for now...