There was a frog on my back porch today.
I didn't even notice him until he scampered out from between my legs.
He made a beeline for the furthest corner of the porch.
Wrenched away from whatever task I ordered my body to do, I stared at the poor frog.
And as he hopped and jumped and slammed his face into the wall,
pleading with it to give way to freedom,
I stared at the terrified little amphibian like a towering basilisk.

Frozen by surprise, a flurry of thoughts descended on my mind like buzzards on roadkill.
In less than a second these thoughts fought and scattered and pecked each other apart
until one curious question stood above the corpses of the rest:
what would happen if I let my cat in here?
With that, my lips twisted into a beak,
and my eyes dug into the back of my prey,
who still threw himself into the wall.

The question burned in my mind like a church on fire.
Though dominated into peace, this dormant predator sharpens her claws daily.
She knows nothing of what she's missing out in the wild.
Dry food that won't give chase,
cloth toys that never die when killed,
towering giants that must be prostrated towards
in order to feel any of life's pleasures.

This cat of mine has never known the taste of victory!
the frog is still banging on the wall
This hunter of mine has never known the taste of a meal prepared all on it's own!
the frog tries the other wall to no avail
This lion of mine has never known the taste of the raw flavor of the wild!
the frog jumps higher and harder and faster
Should I turn this porch into a glorious coliseum, with roaring crowds thirsty for blood,
and throw this little gladiator to the lions?
the frog falls still and silent

My hands sharpen into talons and poison seeps from my scales.
Paralyzed by my gaze, he sat motionless, awaiting my decision.
Even as I donned my gloves and reached for my prey, he did not move.
Even as I cradled him and sized him up, he did not move.
Even as I opened the door and placed him on the grass, he still did not move.
He was frozen for he stared deep into the eyes of the basilisk and lived.
I guess the basilisk just wasn't hungry today.