THE CAT WOMAN JOSIE of the Durango Quanset Huts, '81

(sort of a rambling story, every bit of it true;

intended after Em'ly Dickenson, who never rambled – but I do)

As I approached my ex-wife's hut

(For separate we were)

I chanced to meet the cat woman

– No, she hadn't any fur.

Her hair disheveled, nose drawn out –

She looked the "gypsy hag" –

I knew the children taunted her

And neighbors' tongues would wag.

A paranoic case this one –

'Twas obvious to see

She smelled – lived 'mongst a dozen cats –

And rambled, quite lonely.

So I befriended her that day,

We took her out to eat.

And later on inside the hut

I had her stay for tea.

The two of us and no one else –

(The kids were off at school –

The little one was with her mum.)

She spokeof ghostly ghouls

Who spied upon her day and night,

Left her with naught to think –

'Mid curses thrown from kitchenware,

From oven, stove and sink.

They're cursed! She wailed and rambled on

In circular degrees,

Of untrue cousins, brothers, friends –

Of voices and decrees.

A schizo! Was all I could think,

A hopeless one at that –

What could my Space provide in words

To Josie and her cats?

From her the name of Jesus! and Lord!

Kept coming up anon,

So I responded right away

The second she slowed down.

Look Josie – when the demons shout

And you are but their game –

Don't let them prey – resort to prayer

And loudly praise the Name!

She got it for a second there –

Her glimpse a moment clear –

And then she cranked right up again

– She really couldn't hear.

So to her hut I walked with her –

'Twas locked, she kept no key.

I helped her through the side window –

'Twas her reasoning, you see.

I went back to the front doorstep

To check what'd caught my eye:

A mud-bespattered Bible there –

Full open it did lie!

No further did I need to look,

I knew what it would say:

I lifted it and let the phrase

Choose me in its own way.

And there confirmed by Psalmist's hand,

It said, "When trouble's near

And trembling sets upon my bones,

My mind beset wtih fear,

I call upon teh Lord's dear Name

And once again am cheered."

I laughed aside and shook my head –

The irony was clear:

We all crawl though our side windows

Shaking our butts in the air –

When simply on our doorstep sits

The answer, opened there.