pupil comes to our studio for the first time / bumpkin unfamiliar with wild city / slow selfconscious steps to top of a winding stair / up there you wee runt thats the door / large amber cat twists / paws at the crack / door opens / old artist there / tall / long white hair / smiles / all but no teeth / come in / gestures / cat and bumpkin alike / sit at long wooden table / light and dust dancing / large window / three sides of vaulted roof / south facing / part of pupil duty climb out clean the panes / cat sleeping across the table / name? / artist asks / bumpkin shake of head / points to ears and mouth / throat emits sad wavering tone / cat eye opens / old artist twists mouth and frowns / between eyes a name appears / little fleshing bumpkin reads thoughts and smiles / taking scrap of paper and stump of charcoal prints carefully out letters of this name / turns it for you old dog to read / wonderful the moment for each other’s eyes / A N G E L O