ACCOUNT OF MY DAYS
Sequence: 7
THE TOWN
the town with its mildly hilly north side
its flat and flood prone south and all its
tired crossroads which
the sun passes through every day
tidy angles of light changing calmly minute to minute
everything is a system the mayor proclaims
even what I am not telling you
by telling you that
a cat gray broad headed scarred from fights
has wandered behind the license branch
on his way to his favorite trash can favorite
not so much for the trash as for the rats
he sees the sun and thinks
ha! you have one but I
have two
yellow eyes
the grocer in his long white apron
is the only one listening to the mayor
but really he is waiting for him to move
so he can sweep there too
farmers and their wives are coming in
from all directions bearing broken machinery
and shopping lists
everyone must get busy
an old lady across the alley
from the cat's favorite trash
looks at him over her back yard
from her seat on her back porch
things have changed the songs she knows best
no one sings out loud anymore
they hum them now as if ashamed to be heard
a little whisper of song works to speed memory
which is slow and stiff and gets stuck in one place
that cat thinks he's so quick and always will be
she says to herself but I have far more years than him
and I know what he doesn't