a cheshire grin

crystal quartz cat figurine found on Etsy

The Purple People

They would have taken the time 
to find then follow the signs,
makeshift on power poles:
turn left, right, left again,
to see the red and blue balloons 
bouncing in the breeze
at my mother and father's yard sale.

No drive-by lookie-loos they!
Out of their purple Pinto 
the purple couple leapt, 
expectant, expecting,
pregnant with purpose. 

Look at purple Him:
puffed, peaked corduroy cap,
immaculate goatee, velour suit,
open-collar satin shirt,
chains of gold around his neck.

And purple Her:
ribbon in the hair, lipstick,
polka-dot hoop dress,
legs sunned, feet 
sandal-strapped, 
open-toed.

But both were blind 
to the sundry wares 
my folks had laid out:
coasters, skis, toaster,
teapot, playing cards, army cot,
placemats, hangers, crystal cat. 

They saw only, 
square on the table,
faux-velvet, king-sized,
the purple bedspread,
vast when unfolded
there by purple Him, 
there wrapped by Him
around them both,
a priestly vestment,
cocoon for two,
from goatee giggling 
to open-toe wiggling,
eyes-squeezed bliss, 
ecstasy palpable, 
as though they’d found 
finally the needed thing
for completion,
a totemic temple 
of their desire— 
this cast-off spread, 
now shed, now shared, 
now bared (my God!)
by my mother and father.

And I looked once more
at the sundry wares:
the coasters, skis, the toaster,
teapot, cards, the army cot,
the mats, the hangers, and

the wide and widening
cheshire grin 
of a purple, 
purple,
crystal cat. 	

Natural Lepidolite Hand Carved Crystal quartz Cheshire Cat, Energy crystal, Reiki healing