---
author: Eric Wagoner
date: '2000-07-20T10:15:13'
draft: false
title: Muscled, black with steel-green eye
---

_Muscled, black with steel-green eye  
swishing through the rye grass  
with thoughts of mouse-and-apple pie.  
Tail balancing at half-mast.  
…And the mouse police never sleeps  
lying in the cherry tree.  
Savage bed foot-warmer  
of purest feline ancestry.  
Look out, little furry folk!  
He's the all-night working cat.  
Eats but one in every ten  
leaves the others on the mat._  
  
[cupofwonder.com](http://www.cupofwonder.com) is a wonderful collection of annotated Jethro Tull lyrics. The song above, Mouse Police, is one of my favorites. When my play's over in a couple weeks, I think it'll be time to get me a cat. I need me a kitty.