| The
Thousand Night Cat
Ages ancient long ago alone Atlas stood
under Gaia, the earth and Dark, the sky
empty and black
Kneeling then, night weighed down
too heavy to be upon a single back
Almost to fall when many eyes he saw
translucent, orange, curious and bright
Murmurs and shiny gray fur
with him now the little ones sat
Many straight tails and kind purrs
upon his shoulders, upon his back
jumped the thousand night cat
Standing again, Atlas chuckled and the
earth rumbled
as gray fur rubbed his cheek
Thus into the world came the stars
and Atlas called their mother Bast.
Nov. 1990 |