Mrs. Mackinac's Cat

there was this pitbull
like the kind you hear about
on the nightly news
when the news is slow.
a mean sonofabitch,
the type that takes out a couple of toddlers,
robs a bank, and has his way
with a choir group.
he's 1 in 500;
the other 499 just like a good
scratch behind the ear,
or a nice belly rubbing.
a real Killer.
he didn't get out from the yard much,
but when he did,
all hell broke loose.
cars were stolen,
stores were looted,
mayhem was had.
one day this pitbull got out.
women and children fled to the
safety of their homes.
deadbolts were secured,
and alarms were set.
the police were called,
and the national guard was informed.
this goddamn dog had
a swagger in its step,
a look in its eye,
and an assurance of what
it was put on this great, green Earth for.
Mrs. Mackinac's cat strolled out through
the cat door in the kitchen and meandered
along the walkway beside the house
and into the front yard.
it paused to lick its paws,
and glanced up at the pretty, puffy clouds
bobbing in the big, blue sky.
the pitbull spotted the cat
and went for it like a freight train,
all gristle and muscle
with a maw filled with enough teeth
to make a great white cringe.
it barreled along the street.
steam rose from its nostrils.
a woman screamed.
Mrs. Mackinac's cat casually glanced over at the
behemoth galloping closer.
the cat licked its paw again
as the pitbull cleared twenty yards
in a flash.
the dog opened its mouth.
teeth gleamed,
saliva flowed,
spittle sprayed.
mere inches away
from gobbling down the cat,
the feline jumped up straight into the air.
the dog was befuddled at the vanishing cat.
and down Mrs. Mackinac's cat came
with razor sharp claws extended
in switch blade - like glory.
the previously docile cat came down
with fury,
landing on the pitbull's face.
blood and fur flew.
the dog yelped.
the cat flipped backward
and landed on its feet
as the dog fled,
blind and defeated.
the cat licked its paw.
later that evening, old Killer
had to be put down.
Mrs. Mackinac's cat still likes
gazing up at the clouds
in the big, bright, blue sky.
and from time to time,
the cat can be seen bathing in the sun,
and purring a little tune
that tells of patience
and grace.