Owls

She's sixty-one years old and hiding in a school bus

Kind of objectionable

With a heart like a fist



She stood on a street in Norfork in a pea-coat and a headache

Watching the traffic splash by

When a four day clown in a pick-up truck drove her out to the woods

Down a gravel lane, down a dirt road, down some dust on the grass

To a shadow, with some bricks around it



Near a pecan tree, near a boulder, near a dog, near invisible

He dobbed his hat and scuffed his heel

And puffed real hard on his cheap cigar

And he spewed the smoke out in the air

And asked her if that was a wig on her head

Or if it was real hair



He laughed real loud and said she was cute

And then he leaned over and said "excuse me"

And put the cigar out in the dog's face

"I live here" he said

He went inside



She turned around and walked past the dog

Back up the dust on the grass, past the pecan tree

Back up the dirt road, back up the gravel lane

And back to Norfolk



Back there at his place late at night, when the owls congregate

And the snakes sleep, when the trucks hit the spacers in the overpass

And the storm drains cough up dust and cigarette filters

Purge like frogs at the side of the road



Back there, down the gravel lane, down the dirt road

Down some dust on the grass, past the pecan tree to the shadow

With some bricks around it



Back there, late at night, back there in the dark

Back there in the dust, back there

The dog burst into flame



Anyhow, time went by, anyhow snap crackers and stone soup

Walking on cornflakes and stopping blocks

Anyhow, she went back to where the dog blew up

She tried her luck, she went back, maybe she could paint the porch

Maybe she could fix the roof, maybe she could build a roof



She told him "you can't smoke cigars, though, I'm too damn frail"

And he said "I won't"

Then he lit a cigarette and dropped his hat

He said, "It's OK, I have a cat