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House Held Together by Winds
Fur Coats
There may have been a jaguar. Or a leopard found its wayin, from ancient parties on the lawn. A panther found itsway through locked doors, carried the weathered calmof its skin upstairs, past mirrored landings, the Venetianglass figurines staring with white hands into the dark. Theglass monkey with milk-white hat danced and held hishat up for a penny. The black panther stood and rubbedhis pelt against the dining room table, blew through hisnostrils with a Whiff! into the dark. Wind was the wayhe came in; wind blew the French doors in the diningroom open. He followed his own rhythm upstairs, in therefl ections on mirrored walls. In the dressing room, aquilted mirror rose on a long stem from the dark. Theremay have been boxes of pins, of old hatpins and opinions.The panther could get in by the temptation things hadamong themselves to remain silent. He hid his agate eyesamong the garments, where there was a handbag with afierce gold clasp. The way things had, that were lost orstolen, of turning up again at night. The way things thatwere watched had, of turning their faces to the wall. Thepanther glided in behind mirrors, where he could hideamong black satin shoes. He disappeared, into the blackbacking of the mirrors.
House Held Together by Winds
. Copyright © by Sabra Loomis. Reprinted by permission of HarperCollins Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved. Available now wherever books are sold.