Precious

Her name is precious 

at least that's what i named her

I found her a block from my house

alerted to her presence

by a whimper on the sidewalk

The pavement was whispering to me

help, help, someone, anyone, help

call me curious

i delved within the tangled mess

of old politics, old promises and old policies

of filthy rags, bunched up newspapers and old cardboards

and there discovered my precious

a ragged, wet and scared cat

beaten by the words of her unforgiving sons

ragged from the exploitation of what makes her beautiful

scared from the interventions

of powerful lobbies and superpowers

yet i could still see the beauty in her eyes

it was still freezing 

but I had ceased to be cold

I raised her up

lifted her to my self

and carried her home

dropped her in the shower

turned on the hot water

and waited for what would emerge

waited amidst the emerging moans of pleasure and pain

until she finally emerged 

This tiny thing 

lost in the bundling of all my towels

her shy colour 

peeking shyly through her skin

color patches playing hide and seek on 

her smooth skin

relieved of the burden

of the dirt and grime

of 50 years of perceived self determination

encapsulated in stagnation

the time had come

for her to shed off

years of neglect

and trade them

for the natural look for the future

My precious