Puma concolor

You can 

Attempt to domesticate her

Like a common house cat.

Not that house cats

Are not 

Wonderful,

Amazing,

Comforting,

But

A puma is another thing.

Wild,

Nomadic,

Strong,

Wiry,

Desperate,

Deadly.

A cat is 

Kept,

Fed,

Petted,

Held.

And they may

Occasionally withhold

Affection or

Attention

On a whim,

But you know

Where they are

Who they are.

And they can 

Be content

Domesticated.

A puma,

Hunts,

Kills,

Devours.

On the edge

Of survival.

On the edge

Of the wilderness,

Bounding into

Civilization

Where there is no space for her.

She is mysterious,

Like a shadow at twilight - 

Is she here, or not?

You can try to tame her,

But she will always remain wild,

And will tear at the bars

Of her prison,

Until she is torn

And broken.

Broken spirited and

Longing for the 

Wilderness,

The incredibly

Unforgiving wilderness.

Because she knows
The rules
Of Survival,
It is where she feels  

At home.

A cat will learn

To come when called,

To fall into rituals.

They will return

True love invested,

In their own way.

They are content

Living away from 

The hardships of the wild.

An occasional wild hare

May draw their attention 

To the outside world,

But they return.

Because they love

Comfort.

A puma does not learn

The lessons you want 

To teach. 

She does not know

How to accept

Love

Kindness

Gentleness.

All she knows is the wild,

And the danger,

The pain.

The fight for 

Survival.

You can try 

To turn a cougar

Into a house cat,

But you will be 

Sorely disappointed.

I can't tell you

How to live with 

A cougar.

I'm struggling 

To live

As one.

I am a wild animal,
Tearing 
At the bars 
Of the prison
I didn't know
I was in.