Watched a late night movie
where a few hundred rats appeared as extras crawling in a sewer.
When I got up next morning
a couple of rats, grey and ordinary looking
sat on the sofa snagging.
Told myself that they weren’t there,
turned on the electric fire
(one bar only it’s so expensive)
off the sofa they jumped curled up by the fire
whispering to each other and sending me a prying glance.
Went into the kitchen
made coffee holding on to the belief
that I hadn’t seen them,
took my coffee back into the living room the rats had gone;
I was greatly relieved
till I found their droppings on the sofa.