For a 33 year old man in Fresno.

one.

Spine broken,muscles mangled,"Hi?"
Have I waited long?Time plays cruel tricks.
Fallen branches on me,like chinese sticks.
But this will not be my resting place.
Not my weeping willow.

Ten days and nights with no power.
I pray for voltage...surging in from high.
No trapper sleep...rub grit from my good eye.
Re-assemble myself from ground level up.

Purring in the vicinity.
Humming...revving up.
Feline assistance come to aid
this grounded knave.

two.

A strangely glowing ginger cat.
Brave enough to enter this thicket.
He has cat guts,I need to get with it.
His curving claws dragged out the man in me.

"Well now,let me shake your hand...mmm...paw!"
A feline samaritan in the storm.
Nine lives good and warm.
"No worries",said the glowing cat,"It was nothing at all".

His cat eyes blinked
and made me think
I should follow him
through thick and thin.

three.

I fell in behind him,at his behest.
This illuminated cat delivered me.
Sirens sang enchantments.
He spoke of some stern test.

Glow Cat,"Be wary of the Sirens,they sing lust's code".
Me,"I desire their treasures,curves and pleasures".
Glow Cat,"Cover your ears,there is far we have to go".

So I held my ears closed with fear
and held my breath to pass the test.
As their singing power
turned impotent and sour
with each passing travelled hour.

My feline leader.
Siren defeater.
We won,I heeded his call.
Glow Cat,"No worries,it was nothing at all".

four.

Ahead lay so many more rocky hours.
Swift and silent like the cat...don't hesitate.
Spilling pollinated spells...even cats hallucinate.
Me,"Thankyou,let's go...it's getting late".

Dreaming plants sway so mystic.
Luring me to cursed sleep.
Me and the cat,over poison creepers creep.
Too far to return,in together too deep.

Closed my eye as we both brushed by.
We guessed we passed another test.
We didn't want to see
that shimmering dream for free.

Claws cleave all asunder.
Nothing pulls this feline hero under.
This cat that heeds the midnight call.
Glow Cat,"Aw shucks...it was nothing at all".

five.

Then,a pristine haven...fresh waters.
Six weary legs that need to rest.
Shapes move below the surface waves.
Turning and sliding through the dying day.

Glow Cat,"Step on the ones that float".
We were soon out of danger.
Mastered the bottomless lake.
With oars of bleached femurs,
paddling in our ribcage boat.

Now soaking wet .
Me,"Are we there yet?".
But there was further,more to go.
Glow Cat,"Just one more thing,beware the animal king!".

I heeded my companions thinking,
with his green eyes blinking.
Readied for the next obstacle to fall.
Glow Cat,"Easy now,this will be nothing at all".

six.

Far across a barren field,a wall stood fast.
Tall and very wide...too many bricks to count.
Major challenge...we were too weary to surmount.
The glow cat said this would be the last.

Animal King,"Come on,try and cross this wall of mine!".
There was hollow laughter,,,ominously.
We undertook the challenge...clawed furiously.
Half way up I lost track of passing time.

All that dirt...my muscles hurt.
Clothes tattered...spirit shattered.
We must have climbed for years.
The glow cat grew old before my eyes.
I grew a shipwrecked beard.

But we reached the lofty top.
And disbelief rooted him to the spot.
Then he headed for his lair...said"forget it".

That was the last trial , the last thing .
The great wall , of the old animal king.

seven.

So glad to be home...all the obstacles met.
Time to relax...with my glow cat...up on the deck.
Although,when we got back...I saw some fallen trees.
Looked the same...as the ones once trapping me.

I thought I had been blown far away.
Glow Cat,"No,not that far away!".
That is how the Glow Cat led me...
Back to where I started originally.

My odyssey was through.
At least for today.
I thanked my feline saviour
too many times to say.

Took me from the thicket...I am grateful.
Led me past the sirens when I was lustful.
Guided me in the dream state...I was overjoyed.
Floated on the fake lake...we escaped.
Climbed for years over the king of walls.
When in reality...I could have walked one hundred yards
and avoided all the trials and close calls.

Glow Cat,"What do you say?I was your scout,
you didn't take the cowards way out,
we were born to find another route,
and you are richer for it,
for taking the long way,not the wrong way...
the glow cat way,
and together we have banished doubt!".

This very pleasing feline made a lot of sense.
And at that...we parted ways.

But his meowed words stay strong with me,
especially when I'm feeling down,
"No worries,it was nothing...it's not much further now".