the cat who isn't there

early in the morning as i let the dog out for the day,
i turn i feel a whoosh and there's flash of a tail
but all i really see is the cat who isn't there.

i can hear the mockingbird and the squirrel agitated and fussing
at something in the long tall grass,
but all there is to see is the cat who isn't there

sneaking up behind or running down the couch
i turn my head to find her
but all i see is the cat who isn't there

the grass quivers and the bushes shake
i look closely,
yet all i see is the cat who isn't there.

as the evening rolls in and the shadows lengthen
i think i catch a glimpse but can't be certain,
and i know it is the cat who isn't there.

i ready myself for bed, pull the covers up and roll over
and just as i'm falling asleep... i hear a purring,
and see the cat who isn't there.