He comes on feet as light as feathers

Jumps as if through time

He lands on my bed and only then I am aware

He is there! to sleep and rest his mind

What slumbers he there dwells in I wonder

What shallow dreams he becomes a part of

For unlike me, who dives deeply

He returns to life with even a sound of

A leaf's breath upon a distant tree

Or a movement of my muscle

And as soon he is up returning to his invisibility

To lurk, prey, stalk, claim, love and hustle.

Today he's a lamb, tomorrow a tyger

But sometimes he's just a ball of fur

In his walk, his stance, his grace and his vigor

Who doesn't like to cuddle, and ceaselessly purrs

I know not what he tells me

But it's something I must obey

For sure I remember the Egyptians

How his ancients against them got their way

Then who am I to argue

How he is getting fat

For I'm sure he'll still manage

His lamb and his tyger, his terror and his tact.

But poor creature tom, still has a weakness

Anything that moves, he must catch

And here he sympathies, believe it or not

With dogs chasing tails in an endless match

For that is how is he easily lured

To silly man made traps

That hold him helplessly hostage

To kisses and nudges, where he is trapped

In his worst prison, a deadly cuddle

Where no hope for an escape remains

Unless he betrays his lamb and his tyger with a subtle

Last resort, a child's complaint.