Three In The Morning.

Suddenly, some gardens down,

a cat, surely a cat!,

 shrieks with all the full ferocity

and all the heartfelt finality

 of a lady-vampire

as the stake is hammered home.

Dogs, several of them,

protesting at the fright,

 take at once to barking

and it is many minutes

 before they cease entirely,

when all is perfectly quiet,

 as fully tranquil as one who,

their demon slain,

finally finds peace.