CHRISTMAS MORNING page 41 of 161

"Merry Christmas London!"

In the warmth of an early sun and in the freshness of a morning breeze London and I strolled down from the top of my butte toward the desert floor. We neared an owl sitting atop a young saguaro. He ignored us and stared intently at a cotton-tail quivering in terror under a rusted, decrepit old truck body. As the owl tensed to attack I shouted and waved my arms, London bounced and yapped, all to startle and distract the owl.

Finally with resignation, the owl reluctantly abandoned his prey, lurched into the air and swept down the hill. The cotton-tail took the opportunity, bolted and vanished into a nearby hole, thankful to be free of the owl, the dog and the wild woman.

"Merry Christmas Cotton-tail," I called and to the hooty-owl, "Owl . . . I'm sorry." I had ruined his Christmas dinner.

Over at the quarry we approached the tiny old quarry guard cabin, so wind-blown and weathered. I saw a stained crumpled paper flap between two small rocks. I bent down and picked up a typewritten poem: La Patrona. *

Inside the cabin stood a desk made of orange crates and a mattress ravaged by packrats. The floor was littered with rodent-chewed sheets of poetry, stained and almost buried in packrat nests of cholla and fluffed mattress packing. I gingerly picked out a few sheets and took them outside to read, each one so strangly appealing.

I would never have read a letter, but the poetry seemed like literature, meant to be read by all who enjoy the arrangement of words. Spellbound, I read on until one poem, tender and personal, flooded me with shame for having read any of the poems.

Quickly, I replaced all but La Patrona. If I left it inside, rats would be drawn to its new odour and add it to their poetic nests. If I left it outside, it would surley be destroyed by monsoon rains - I could not leave it. I had been enchanted by -La Patrona and her gift to the shepherd; three oranges and the nice apple.

*copyright to La Patrona held by the quarry guard.


by Charlotte Madison and Nana Cook copyright- 1994