Nothing But Disgust

NOTHING BUT DISGUST
All slick speed and bristling whiskers
Tail poised as a tiger,
Hips quivering in ready energy
Ears and eyes on the mouse before me

I was startled by a noise, my ears flew sideways
The mouse disappeared and I sighed
Resentment at the clattering mass
Of men, of course, staggering in full brawl

I darted under the boxwood bush
Pausing to sniff at another cat’s dish
Before vaulting with gymnast ease
To the garden shed roof, surveying the scene

Men, in odd clusters, bawling anger
One grabbed another by the shoulder
A third intervened and swift fists were flung
I sniffed and the reek of wheat-beer sweet

Rose from the night street
As the men stagger-danced, all flailing hands
And a bottle; one tried to hurl a wheelie bin
Which opened and emptied its filth upon him!

And I compared their clumsy squabble
With the wars of my kind:
All stalking ambush and blind fear
Slashing claws and standing fur

Furious swish of the pugilist’s tail
Hissed warning, teeth bared
All circling caution and stalking bravado
Then pounce and explode in splendid crescendo!

The drunkards below still bawled
One sitting down now, cradling a hand
Another dribbling blood and complaining like a child
A third slightly cut, the perfect imprint of mud on his butt

And the groups dispersed with the lingering
Stink of beer and queer shouted threats
I licked my lips, stretched, and pondered my many fights
All claws and teeth and daring assaults

And I felt, compared with the grand campaigns
Of cat – the routed rival, devoured rat –
Human fights must be the clumsiest and I felt
Nothing but disgust.