Little mouse.
You shiver so timidly, you appear fragile.
A wind unnoticed by the cats would sweep you off of your paws.
Afraid, little mouse?
A little leaf lost in a huge gust of a breeze.
A breeze full of gray, and dust, and desolation.
You quiver upon your humble threshold,
Your treasure that which the cats scorn.
A hole which, to others, would never suffice as a worthy abode.
You stare longingly into the world of light.
Carefully, because your longing is so
Tangible you fear someone will bump into it on their way out the door.
A flick of your tail, a scurry, and you vanish, into the darkness
You know it well, necessity has made you close allies.
No one should ever mistake that knowing for love.
You do not revel in the night, but base your survival on remaining hidden.
A wall seals the hole behind you, though whether it is truly a wall or a mere proverbial barrier is debatable.
Frightened, little mouse?
The wall is built of mottos and mantras, the cracks
Patched up with a cement of terror and just a hint of tradition.
The cheese simply isn't worth it, your trembling whiskers say.
But oh, your eyes, little mouse.
How much brighter they gleam when you glimpse the object of your affections.
Your snout trembles and I can almost see you shake your head.
As if you could ever shake your longing out of your silky ears, silly mouse.
"But look here," your soprano squeak protests. "There might be a cat out there! I've seen such terrors before."
If the cheese is ripe, aged perfectly, the cat slumbers and night has fallen,
Then isn't it worth it, shy mouse?
Mmmmm, the struggle.
Safety?
Or satisfaction?
"Any true mouse would pick safety," I can hear you sniff.
You are no fool, your twitching nose answers.
Alright, little mouse.
Retreat behind the proverbial barrier and your cherished darkness.
A fool I may be, but safety is merely my preference, not my choice.
If a cat prowled in the light and my legs were sore, I would scurry away beside you.
As the cat sleeps, I hedge my bets not.
I tense, and launch myself out into the world of light.
I hope my pattering feet and satisfied squeaks can reach your timid ears through the wall you have built around your life.
