Halloween Garden (Poetry)

Does he suspect already it’s a useless task ? —
the cat who stalks a blackbird
through the pumpkin patch —
he peers and peeps between the leaves
and licks his lips
yet feline body language lazily suggests
he knows — in part accepts —
that he has met his match
but still he crouches low and gazes —
ears erect.

The bird hops jauntily around —
plays hard to get
cocks his head — corn-yellow-beaked
he prods and pecks and gobbles worms
but one eye’s turned and keeping watch
for tigers in the undergrowth —
he darts and stops — a shadow moves
alarming — an old foe perhaps
and so takes flight — shouts insults at
the skulking cat discovered like
some tresspasser on hallowed ground
and like a devil driven out.