PERFUME

PERFUME

PRITHEE
PRITHEE
PRITHEE

I ALWAYS WANTED TO USE THAT WORD IN A SENTENCE

PRITHEE

LISTEN TO MY TALE
ABOUT
AN UPLIFTED TAIL
A TALE REDOLENT WITH WONDER
WHICH BRINGS TEARS TO MY EYES EVEN NOW

IT BEGAN INNOCENT ENOUGH
I WAS INNOCENT
ONCE

I
DISCOVERED
WHILE WALKING THROUGH THE WOODS
WHAT I TOOK TO BE
A LITTLE BLACK AND WHITE KITTEN

APPARENTLY
ABANDONED BY ITS PARENT
I SAW NO SIGN OF THEM

I WALKED ON
TO GIVE THEM A CHANCE
ON COMING BACK
I SAW HIM STILL
AND TOOK HIM HOME

TO WHICH MY FATHER SAID
HE’LL NOT COME INTO THE HOUSE
IT’S A SKUNK

CAN I KEEP HIM
CAN I KEEP HIM

HE RELENTED
IF I KEPT HIM IN OUR OLD BARN
WHICH WE NEVER USED


I CALLED HIM PERFUME
A SUITABLE NAME

AND ALL WAS WELL
TILL SUMMER WAS OVER
HE HAD THRIVED
I RAISED HIM WELL
HE FOLLOWED ME LIKE A DOG

WE’D OFTEN SIT
PERFUME AND I
AND WATCH THE SUN SET
A BOY
AND HIS SKUNK
IS A BEAUTIFUL THING

BUT SUMMER WAS OVER
AND SADLY
I HAD TO LEAVE MY PAL
FOOT DRAGGING ALL THE WAY

BUT FATE WAS KIND
I THOUGHT
FOR THE FIRST ASSIGNMENT
WAS

WHAT I DID IN THE SUMMER

I’D TOP THEM ALL
OH BOY OH BOY OH BOY
I’D TOP THEM ALL

SO ON THE FATEFUL DAY
I TRUNDLED
MY PET SKUNK
ON MY LITTLE RED WAGON
SAFELY IN A BOX
HIDDEN FROM VIEW

WHEN WE GOT TO SCHOOL
WE WERE TOLD THE BISHOP
WAS THERE
WE WERE TO SHOW HIM
OUR FIRE DRILL EXPERTISE
THE FIRE DRILL BEGAN
AS ALL FIRE DRILLS BEGAN
WITH A LOUD CLANGING BELL

PERFUME
SAFE IN HER BOX
MAYBE ASLEEP
WAS STARTLED
AND REVERTED TO FORM
BROKE OUT OF THE BOX
SPRAYING ALL THE WAY

THE GOOD HOLY NUNS
WERE ALWAYS TELLING US
TO LIVE IN THE ODOR OF SANCTITY
WE FAILED THAT DAY

THE GOOD HOLY NUN
AND HALF THE CLASS
WERE ON THEIR DESKS
AS PERFUME RAN OUT THE DOOR
SPRAYING LIBERALLY
INCLUDING THE BISHOP
WAITING TO WATCH
THE STUDENTS
PERFORMED THEIR DRILL

I THINK THERE ARE SOME BISHOP ROBES
IN INDIA
WITH A STRANGE AROMA

MY FATHER CAME AND RESCUED ME
AND LATER
MUCH LATER
TOLD ME

THAT HE’D BEEN ANGRY
AND EMBARRASSED
BUT LATER
HE’D REMEMBERED
HIS OWN YOUTH
AND SMILED




PERFUME CAME TO ME
OBEDIENT LIKE A DOG
I TOOK HIM HOME
I LET HIM GO

FOR A WHILE
I’D FEED HIM
THEN ONE DAY
HE STOPPED COMING

THE NEXT SUMMER
I MET HIM IN THE WOODS AGAIN
HE CAME AND NUZZLED MY HAND

THEN MADE A NOISE
HIS WIFE
AND THREE LITTLE ONES
CAME TO THE EDGE OF THE CLEARING
HE NUDGED MY HAND AGAIN

WENT TO JOIN THEM
AND DISAPPEARED

GOODBYE PERFUME
YOU LINGER
IN MY THOUGHTS
LIKE
PERFUME

FRANK A VOLLMER