He is tentative in his approach
to the fortified fruitcake,
but emphatic on one point:
'The angels,' he says,
'will not enter your house.'

Alas, my maneki neko
knows nothing of discrimination:
with raised, beckoning paw
she welcomes everyone — from
Catholic priest to condom salesman.

I glance towards the street
but see only a lone cyclist,
hunched against the rain,
the twin buds of his shoulder blades
beneath a flapping cape.



NOTE: Maneki neko: Literally, "beckoning cat":
a popular Japanese sculpture, placed in en-
tranceways to welcome visitors or customers.