The Midnight Guest

In the mysterious dark
of midnight I thought
the shadowy figure
was that of a cat
that had been stalking
the birds and local squirrels 
we had been feeding;
just stopped myself on
the very cusp of opening
the door to hiss it away
when I was able to detect
its ringed tail and
hunched back, delicately
selecting with its
clever hands choice nuts
to nibble and I watched,
fascinated, as my welcome
guest sat in the dark in
steadily pounding rain
enjoying the comforts of
my proffered hospitality.