Even now as I ascend the stairs 
The cool darkness set before me 
I see the eyes 
Two eyes before my eyes 
I see them 
They glare at me 
With predatory hate 
I keep ascending 
Knowing the eyes can't hurt me 
Now I see them 
When I close my eyes 
Two eyes 
Cat eyes 
My eyes 
Upon a painting 
A circle 
A radial 
My mind seized upon an image 
A cat, great in majesty 
Battling a snake 
One known for stealth and strike 
The tiger and the cobra 
The snake's tail round 
Around the painting 
It's red scales blistering 
The tiger was blue 
And black 
Blue with black stripes 
It snarled with wide fangs 
And so did the cobra 
I refer to it as 'the Cougar' 
I like cougers better 
Yet the stripes were necessary 
God needs it to hide behind 
Just like the snake needs scales 
For protection 
Both creatures of stealth 
Both wild and vicious 
Oh, eternal struggle? 
Will thou ever cease? 
And why dost thou make me fear God?