CREOLE CAT

GARDE LE CHAT!

One of the things I am trying to do with my visual journal is to use it as a safe place to vent my feelings. There is a person in my life whom I absolutely despise, but I have to interact with her. There is nothing I can safely do to counteract her influence, unless I were to make a voodoo doll and stab pins into her likeness.
Or, I could write a poem about my feelings. So, I did. The words absolutely tumbled out of me, poured out like life-giving water, and I wrote the poem in about 20 minutes. Talk about catharsis! If that's what writing therapy does, I want more of it. I am printing the poem below, after taking out a few identifying lines. It was incredibly fun to pretend to be the animal familiar of a voodoo priestess. You may feign surprise at the venom and vehemence behind my words. But come on, admit it, all of us have feelings like that, and even more dire desires. We've all wanted to stick pins into someone. But writing these lines was a safe outlet for my feelings. And no humans were harmed in the making of this poem.

CREOLE CAT

*****

Ma Maitresse, Madame Julie,

is vexed with you.

A Witchy Woman, she has got her

mojo working against you, ma chere.

****

BEWARE

*****

She has made the voodoo likeness of you.

She has captured you well:

(Descriptive lines deleted)

*****

Ah, and your two faces,

the one with its insincere smile,

the other with the barely-concealed contempt,

false words and superiority.

Soon, she will stick the pins in your belly

and then you will know such pain!

*****

GARDE LE CHAT

****

I am un chat from the dark side

I can call the lightning down sur la tete.

I will wind 'round your legs and trip you,

bring you down to the gutter.

*****

I will pounce on you as I pounce on Les Souris.

I will tear off your limbs like a jungle cat.

Do you know these words?: "Despite all my rage,

I'm still just a rat in a cage."

****

Warning, mon amie!

From now on you must be good to Ma Maitress,

Our she will rip out your malicious tongue

and poke out your evil eyes.

She will turn you into a poxy, fly-ridden,

brain-addled, forever imprisoned RAT IN A CAGE