Freezer

I am twelve when we move
Into a big house in San
Antonio next to an elderly
Couple who have a freezer
Of ice cream in their garage.
It opens on top and seems
Big to me as it is so deep.
I build a toothpick and glue
Ship for Mr. Reeves and find
That if I talk with Mrs. Reeves
For awhile she will offer me some
Ice cream from her freezer.
My friend John Ted and I go over
One hot summer afternoon to
Try for some ice cream which
We get after sitting and talking
To them on their front porch.
Mrs. Reeves tells us about how
Her cat climbed in the freezer
And she accidentally shut the lid
On it and later found the
Persian cat frozen like a furry frying pan.
She tells us that she looked for
Some alcohol to give it some
But only had a can of gasoline
So she gave it a tiny teaspoon
Poured down its mouth.
She said the cat took off running
Into the kitchen down the hall
And back to the front porch
Where we always sat to eat ice
Cream making the circuit twice
Before it collapsed over the
Doorsill onto the porch and
Lay perfectly still not breathing.
We asked if it were dead and
She smiled and said it ran out
Of gas. Mr. Reeves smiled at
Our open mouths and big eyes.
We blinked and laughed,
We had eaten our ice cream
And were content to
Be fooled by so
Charming an
Old lady who
Might be
Telling us
The truth.