Gramma Darlin'

Gramma Darlin', tell me that old old story.

(all this happened quite recently - fresh & raw in my remembering.)

Man walks into the desert, inna dusty coat with a loooong rifle; a mangy coyote at his heels.

(hold-on, who did walk?)

Woman walks into the desert, she's pretty scared, tremblin', a loooong rifle her crucifix, clutchin' & tremblin', fair blowed o'er.

Gramma Darlin, was the walker a man or a woman?

(yer papa tol' this story better, go & ask him now.)

Man walks into the desert, inna dusty coat with a loooong rifle; woman walks into the desert, she's a mangy coyote at his heels. When they walked under the horizon, he took his loooong rifle & waved it all around; she cowered before the crucifix, she a mangy coyote cowered. That rifle weren't hers to clutch no more, he called that crucifix his, made it a loooong rifle again. He undid her church-work made a gun of the silver Jesus.

(y'see jesus on the wall? how he's all in pain & such? that's the man when he isn't a looong rifle - you be sure you're knowing what I'm talking about now?)

Jesus walks into the desert - must be in Ethiopia somewhere, in them Bible times.

(i saw a coyote in a desert once it was mangy i guess you'd call it woman, woman like me. musta also been in ethiopia somewhere.)

Jesus walks into the desert inna white-dust-coat with a loooong rifle, but no killin' to be done for he'd a made it a crucifix, with a mangy coyote at his heels, Eve on alla her fours.

Gramma Darlin', was this after Jesus done died on the cross?

(nah, that rifle-crucifix was empty, Jesus done told the future with that loooong rifle, right? like them prophets o' old did, seeing visions in daytime of nighttimes.)

Jesus walks into the desert inna white-dust-robe with a loooong cross, empty now, gonna be filled than empty again real soon; coyote-Eve at his heels.

(eve was a coyote that's why the serpent feared her so, knew he hadda trick her ta beat 'er.)

Gramma Darlin', the preacher never says so.

(that preacher forgets hisself, you know this well as i do.)

Jesus walks into the desert, inna white robe with a loooong rifle; Eve walks into the desert, she's a mangy coyote at his heels. When they walked under the horizon and behind the moon, Jesus turned to Eve and he says -

Gramma Darlin', what did Jesus say?

(husha, i wis getting to that, one moment now child.)

Jesus walks into the desert, inna coal-black coat, with a silver crucifix he's trying on for size; Eve follows behind, nippin' away at his heels, whisperin' about serpents and Adam's wee apple or somewhat - she done lost her mind sometime affer Eden, and she ain't regained it.

Gramma Darlin', will Eve ever regain her mind?

(now while that preacher of yers seems to think so, i've been around longer, i've seen what time does to women, to our minds - huh, as if eve would e'en want her mind back.)

Gramma Darlin' -

(husha husha! can't you see i've gone and lost my story now?)

Gramma Darlin', maybe it's with Eve's mind?

(husha! you got a point there but i'm 'fraid tain't a sharp - been dulled a spell. so's i was sayin'-)

Jesus walks into the desert, he's got the crucifix hanging over him, right, and a loooong rifle by his side, with Eve scramblin' away at his heels, tossing away in the white sand, hair all matted and clumped. Her eyes are wild-like, fiery like that angel's sword, waving away at her and them kids, following at Adam's heels, away into that desert scorchin'...

Gramma Darlin', did Jesus or did Adam walk into that desert scorchin'?

Jesus walks into the desert.

Man walks into the desert.

In both deserts, at both heels, Eve done follows, nipping at the heels, clutching her babies tight to her scrawny body, clutching that big ol' silvering crucifix, clutching at that piece o' snake-fruit.

She gonna give 'em both away to the cloak, the robe, the coat, the coal-black, white-dust, dusty-dust, dust dust dust of the desert.

Gramma Darlin', which is it?

(what you mean, child?)

Gramma Darlin', which story is it? That old old story.

(you wanna hear that old old story?)

Gramma Darlin', tell me how it really goes.

(all this happened quite recently - fresh & raw in my remembering.)

Eve walks into the desert, inna blood-reddened coat with a loooong rifle; a mangy coyote at her heels...

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