Anne Wilkinson: For Dinah, the Adeney’s Cat

Thirty elongated seconds
By the sun
We stare, the cat and I,
Strangers, cool and crouched
Behind unwinking green

Till flick
Along the spine, a whip
Of recognition cut
Our masks of fur and skin,
Cat-o’-nine-tails with a sting
Neither hinted at
By curl of lip
Or spitting tongue. 

Then one cat turned
With poise of air
And washed a spotless paw,
The other took a tortoiseshell comb
And almost yawned
As she combed her tatless hair.

Published mid-20th century (Wilkinson's dates are 1910-1961; she rarely enjoyed good health). This is pretty much perfect as a jewel-like, ironic more than lyrical, observation.