I’m watching a video about sand cats.
Three of the cutest kittens ever
with big inquisitive eyes
are huddled together in a row.
A venomous snake is slithering
menacingly toward them.
The kittens don’t run or cry out.
They remain huddled together,
maybe unaware death is approaching.
The snake slithers nearer
and bam! strikes one of the kittens,
way too cute to die.
The kitten immediately falls over
convulses for a moment and dies.
The mother, who has sensed the
danger, appears from out of nowhere,
charges the snake, bats it with clawed
strike after strike until the snake
slithers away.
She picks up the dead kitten and
puts it somewhere away from predators
who would devour its dead body.
Meanwhile, the snake slithers back
intent on killing another kitten.
And the raging mother intercepts him.
Neither the mother or the snake back down.
The mother crouches inches from the snake’s
head, fury in her eyes, looking directly into its eyes.
She’s so close to the venomous snake’s deadly fangs
that I fear it’s going to shrike her and kill her.
But she’s far too fast for the snake, easily dodges
its strikes while parrying with deadly claw strikes.
The back and forth goes on for about five minutes
until the snake battered, bleeding and torn,
tries to slither away.
But the mother knows she has to finish it,
otherwise it will come back to kill her remaining kittens.
She catches up to it, claws it into submission,
and bites its head off, justice and a gratifying finish.
Bob Boyd