to say anything now would be / paused reluctant to commit the whirl of / call them feelings? / thoughts? / but not words! / fuck words / muttered beneath breath / the old hypocrite / Dumb Buggerface / a rustling of wings distracts him / eyes off the dry earth / head stretched back / horizontal peering face / suddenly struck / above him hovering in the clear air an angel of the Apocalypse / just as described in those last pages of their book / seraph / six winged / two down covering the body / two fluttering out reached as if arms / two upward framing the head / head of a cat / seven eyes as written / but a cat / that had not been written / bleary eye above pouting wrinkled near-toothless mouth drinks in an angel cock its silken red fur ears / seven cat eyes continually flitting through searing shocks of colour pouring forth their wildest agitation / purring affectionately the angel descends / hovering / feathers brushing the prostrate rag-strewn trembling fool / now somewhat recovering his sense of humour / indeed unclenched a boney forefinger tentatively to lightest caress the shimmering fur-feathers / accidentally brushing one of the scattered eyes that jewel the wings / gone / bleary old eye follows glinting dot out into the heaven it appears to vanish