Under a colonnade of trees in the pale moonlight,
Mark watched a cat creep through Mrs. Bennett’s garden,
turn to gaze at him in mild surprise,
and then vanish around the corner of the house.
A field mouse, its heart beating wildly, sat tight,
hoping the cat was a lazy hunter
like most domestic creatures, like Mark,
who feared the snare of group emotion in public places
and would do almost anything to remain absent
from other people’s thoughts.