Only the rind remains,
carcass bleaching
in the dining room light,
echoes of an
empty ribcage on
some African plain.
Toothmarks are really just
the impressions of seeds,
but still the illusion
persists amidst rational
explanations that,
though true, have not the
appeal of illusion.
Calvin's image of Hobbs is
so much more than
his parents' and we...
we treasure Calvin's vision.
—Jeffery Taylor
++++++++++
Exercise of Appreciation: Pomegranate
Sarah led us in an Exercise of Appreciation. A gorgeous pomegranate, really deep crimson—the biggest pomegranate I have ever seen.
Something very intimate—being in the kitchen together—up close, around the island.
A plastic knife—surprisingly sharp. Kim was very sure of himself, cutting through the elegant layers of rind.
Seeds,like jewels, encased in multifaceted gossamer pulp.
The rind, now like some toothless jaw, only the sockets remain.
Justin and Brian—no longer new, or strangers. Mysteriously woven into the group by Sarah's Exercise of Appreciation.
Is this Zen Mindfulness? Bro. Lawrence might say we were practicing The Presence but perhaps The Presence was engaging us?
This vessel of safety—how does it happen? Is it skillfully woven of intense curiosity, deep affection for the journey, a willingness to embrace the stranger? No, this isn't it.
It's like raking the gravel in a Zen Way.
Kitchens are places of transformation. We came raw, cold, strangers. Now we are warm companions on this journey. No longer raw, but held, encouraged. It is The Presence.
Everything is connected when we pay attention.
—Janelle Curlin-Taylor
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