She arrives quietly,
silent as a shadow.
her deep minky coat
blending into darkness,
invisible to my eyes.

She sits next to my feet,
so close, yet untouching.
Not even her tail moving.
A presence I do not feel.
I am unaware that she’s there.

Melissa, the perfect huntress,
can turn to stone while focused
on her goal, her mind as still as her body.
She waits for her prey to stop moving.

Inching closer, a cat in perfect slow-motion,
moving one paw at a time,
halting with one paw raised and frozen in the air.

“Is she breathing?” I wonder, peering from a window.
“Can  the prey hear her breathe?”

Without warning,
from stand-still to warp-speed,
Melissa is gone under the ancient laurel’s,
chasing her prey.

I watch in wonderment as she returns without success.
If she feels discouragement, disappointment,
it doesn’t show.
She’s ready to hunt again.

I stand washing dishes.
I must check behind my feet and
directly next to them to prevent
tripping over Melissa, sitting so silent
next to me without touching.

Is that a tail I feel gently tapping me?

Not a sound. So silent, when much of the time she
can be heard, talking to herself, yelling
at me, moaning dramatically
when she doesn’t get her way or pretends
to be trapped (or actually is stuck) in a closet.

Subtle layers of feline vocals that can shriek
and growl simultaneously, striking terror
into the heart of any cat intruder into her territory.

Subtle and not so subtle voice,
a musical treat for the finely tuned feline ear …
provided you have been accepted as a friend.

Intense purrs that can shift instantly to anger,
her mood unpredictable as she snuggles into my chest.

Melissa.
Mysterious feline with pale green eyes.
Lovable.  Loving.  Raging.  Demanding.
Complex.  Beautiful.  Fierce.  Alive with
swirling energy, living intensely.

Intense silence.
Intense feelings.
Intense beauty.
Intensity personified.

Melissa.  The name of a calming herb
chosen by a ferocious feline whose body
throbs with life force.

“Will she ever find inner peace?” I wonder
as she settles into my lap while I sit in meditation.
“Perhaps we’ll find it together.”