Camouflage

The cat walks in the dark shadow
but its feet are white
across its chest a blaze of color
a star and stripes

Ce'st le trompe de l'oeil
break the pattern of the light
The zebra disappears into the Serengeti
The leopard dissolves into the night

The tiger burns bright
in the forests of the night

And the dark line of the footpath
is broken by the steps
his hair
turned into bright white

he said it was because
Ignatz hit him so hard