Life’s Delicious Brightsides
Tanka series smorgasbord response to Ravyne Hawke’s November 3rd poetry prompt
Ravyne prompted us to write tanka of unlimited length to the prompt and to title the tanka “Life’s [fill in the blank]. I immediately thought of my first ever self-expository essay, which addresses heavy topics like addiction, narcissism, spiritual paths, and suicide. It also contains a section entitled “The Brightsides,” which leads off with me saying “let’s lighten up for a minute” and discusses some of my favorite foods, which I now poetically describe:
Nabisco so smart No campfires in the winter Create boxed s’mores Encase marshmallow and graham With rich dark chocolate yum
God I love prime rib Call and reserve center cut Inch and a half thick Rare meat juices infusing Dark tender crusted outside
Indescribably Unique flavor and texture On a bed of rice With just sea salt and lemon That’s how I savor uni
Now let’s have dessert Yolks sugar and marsala Tableside fire whipped Pour custard over berries That’s how to serve zabaglione
Speaking of Justine, I wrote this in that first essay of mine two months before that birthday:
Perhaps because I am not driven by sex, but by connection, is also why I am capable of platonic love of a woman. It seems that most people do not believe that such can exist because they are not capable of it. For me, the choice between no relationship because for whatever one or many reasons romance is not in the cards, or having that person in my life and deriving shared spiritual pleasure from each other’s non-romantic intimacy and company and connection, is a no-brainer in favor of the latter.
I did not write another personal essay for almost seven years:
I thought I wrote those words about a girl with whom I had developed a very close friendship in the Fall of 2013. Yet, upon reflection recently, what I wrote was way beyond Justine’s and my relationship. When I pulled the 2013 portrait out of the moth balls of my mind back in April, I realized that 6 ½ years ago, 5 ½ years before meeting Lindsey, I was writing about Lindsey/Sitara. It’s f’ing absurd how spot-on that prose describes now. At the very least this is what I have coined a directional-reflective coincidence. I believe that such resulted from today’s experiences leaking thru whatever separates all the points in time that exist simultaneously and influencing what I wrote in December 2013. Perhaps; or perhaps it’s just my art and my life converging (not an original thought).
It’s the words “deriving shared spiritual pleasure from each other’s non-romantic intimacy” that seal this deal for me. You may chalk it up to I’m simply a good writer who embellished with flowery language. I do not discount that possibility. I’ll take the compliment. I do remember thinking at the time “whoa that’s a bit over the top, but I f’ing like it.” In the context though of all that has happened these past three months, much of which is not in this paper and won’t be because it’s already going to be too long, I’ll go with my hypothesis any day.
Of course, there is a simpler explanation for my having written that in 2013, and for my having described a soul partnership in 2012 when I wrote my description of a healthy relationship — I was completely inspired by my soul — Marcus wrote them. Yes, that’s it. I cannot believe that I only thought of that tonight.
Tagging now friends with whom I want to share this piece, with apologies to anyone I missed:
Joseph Lieungh| Kira Dawn | William J Spirdione | I. Trudie Palmer | jules | Libby Shively McAvoy | Dr Mehmet Yildiz | Karen Madej | Dr. Preeti Singh | Maria Rattray | Claire Kelly | Katrina Bos | Amy Marley | Stuart Englander | Diana C. | Anthi Psomiadou | Maxwell Jordan | Kim Petersen | Thief | Jean Carfantan |Michael Hall | Somsubhra Banerjee| Camille Grady | Holly Kellums | Rebecca Romanelli | Carrie. A. Kelly | Carolyn F. Chryst, Ph.D. | Frank Ontario | Carol Price | Tree Langdon | Melanie J. | Dr. Fatima Imam | Ane | Reverie | Danna Z | JS Adam | Agnes Laurens
In Rama I create, with soul-energy surging through my body, inspiring me and breathing wind into my sails,