SHE APPEARED SEVERAL TIMES
AT A SLIGHT DISTANCE
TAKING TINY STEPS
WITH CAREFUL RESISTANCE,
QUITE A SIGHT
ON SUCH
ROCKY TERRAIN,
UNLIKELY TO BE THERE
I WONDERED JUST HOW AND
FROM WHERE SHE CAME,
BUT THIS IS A TIME
WHERE UNUSUAL CRIMES
AND ANTICS ARE PRIME,
I CONTINUED,
NOT QUESTIONING
OR TALKING
OR GESTURING,
JUST CLIMBING
EXPLORING A PLACE
NEW AND FREE
OLD WORLD HOUSES
AND HISTORY,
THEN CAME THE DAY
WHEN THE WIND AND
THE RAIN
WERE MISTING AROUND
AND THE STREETS
WITHOUT SOUNDS
GAVE FORTH
THIS LADY,
CLOSER AND SHADY,
SHE WAS COVERED
FROM HEAD TO TOE,
WITH A HUGE
UMBRELLA HAT:
IMAGINE THAT,
HOLDING ON FOR DEAR LIFE,
AS I APPROACHED
SHE STOPPED AND WAITED
AND SPEAKING CLEARLY
HER WORDS WERE DEARLY
AND ALMOST NEARLY
IMPOSSIBLE YET SWEET:
“BEAUTIFUL BEAUTIFUL
AND SO BRAVE”
IT WAS QUITE A STRANGE
THING AND WAY TO BEHAVE,
I SMILED AND WALKED ON
SLOGGING ALONG
AS IF AN ANGEL APPEARED,
IT WAS TOTALLY WEIRD,
BUT SHE WAS NOT DONE
WHEN THE TIME HAD COME
TO MEET ME AGAIN,
AND CONTINUE HER WHIMS,
SPEAKING HER MANTRA
AGAIN AND AGAIN:
“BEAUTIFUL” SHE SAID,
YOU ARE SO BEAUTIFUL”,
I THANKED HER
LIKE A CHILDISH TOOL,
AND WONDERED WHERE
SHE LIVED, WALKING AROUND
IN SATIN SLIPPERS
AND SHINY COATS
WITH A LOT OF ZIPPERS,