Cathedral Cats I know a cathedral full of cats. They romp in the choir loft, piss in the pews, and hiss ungodly hallelujahs at the stained-glass saints. I once saw a lonely puss warm its arched body against an altar boy’s ankles. Startled a tabby in the sacristy, found another in the confessional. During mass you might see a calico creep across the aisle or curl serenely by the Virgin’s plaster majesty. They’ve even been known to fornicate in the nave and devour mice in the apse right under the crucifix, as Christ watches all with painted eyes, patient witness to our wildness.
Paul Jaskunas is the author of the novel Hidden (The Free Press, 2004), winner of the Friends of American Writers Award, and founding editor of Full Bleed, an annual art journal published by the Maryland Institute College of Art, where he teaches literature and writing. His work has been featured by a variety of publications, including The Cortland Review, Gargoyle, The New York Times, America, and The Museum of Americana.
Amethyst Review 