Training

I so desperately wish that I liked tomatoes. Maybe if they felt a little bit more like avocados. Smooth, green - (instead of) – gooey, seeds.

Outside in a coat. No hat, no scarf. Fingers stinging and wind biting – howling – slapping. It’s not so bad. Re-frame the pain. Delicious cold! Relishing. Gasp deep – blue fingers finding a belly. Grasping for green.

Contents reveal something red. Unwelcome. Knuckle deep – stirring – upsetting. Plunging to wrists, pulling a way. Liquefied. Retreating stumps chased by fiery bile.

Sparkling blades awash in the steaming pink pile (green finally found). The tomatoes and I still couldn’t agree.

Happy Poem

If I had one wish it would be that all of the children would have enough puppies, flowers and lollipops to last the whole winter. We could all hold hands and buy cokes for each other. When we looked up there would always be a rainbow or a twinkling star or snowflakes (landing on my nose and eyelashes) or bunnies in the clouds (or maybe monkeys cause they make me laugh with ther banana stealing antics).

Yellow is a very happy color. Daffodils and sunshine are yellow. So is a certain kind of snow. One time I threw a certain kind of snowball at my best friend's face. That made me laugh. That made me happy.

You know what else is happy? Listen and I'll tell you: Songs are happy. Songs about puppies, flowers and lollipops are especially happy. They can be accompanied by a little dance if you're into that sort of thing.

Cotton candy in the shape of a bunny (or monkey) cloud would be so cute. Oh, and don't forget world peace!

Stupid and Proud

Every CEO she had ever met told her that she was smarter than he.

"You know how I got into this position? A lot of hard work and determination, that's how."

She wondered if this was really a good thing. In her work she had seen drinking and socializing called "networking". She had seen hours upon hours of time wasted by others (giggling over pictures) while she had been reprimanded for leaving work too early even though she had gotten in before most people were even awake. Worst of all, she had been held back because her boss was threatened by her. Her intelligence seemed to be a cross to bear unlike her co-worker's incompetence and long hours which were worn like stripes on their chests.

She tried to make sense of it all. When she went to a doctor's office, their credentials were posted loudly on the walls. Anyone could see that this person was trained and qualified. Good grades were a badge of honor. The same applied to lawyers. A lawyer could boast about graduating at the top of his class and leverage that into a job with the firm of his choice. No one wants to go to a doctor or a lawyer with no schooling, but "a great attitude".

It was a prisoner's dilemma of sorts. If the big guys in charge were all to admit that being smart and well educated was an advantage, then businesses would begin to use that as their hiring criteria. The whole system would be arranged by people with efficiency and logic in mind. The problem though was that if only one CEO were to admit to his deficiency and more importantly, the deficiency in the system (in a public forum), then only that CEO would feel the effects of his admission. The other CEOs would simlpy smile, shut their mouths and keep on truckin'.

Syd

A visit to Howard Beach meant a visit to Aunt Syd. From grandmother’s house to Brooklyn. Up to the eleventh floor. Hugs and kisses, tea and cookies. Run to the back window to check if it’s still there. Green spikes and an eternal flame are just a speck on the jagged horizon. Which one is the empire state building? Twins tower in the distance. Are you still hungry? Have some more cookies. Hugs and kisses, food coma and naps.

On our way home - To the home. Syd waits in her wheelchair. No tea and cookies. Just waiting. Conversation - obligation. You like the sweet stuff don’t you Aunt Syd? Have some of your pudding. Not hungry anymore? Just a couple more bites.

A skeleton covered in skin. I wish I’d die in my sleep tonight. Another bite.

Sleep tight Aunt Syd.

Cadbury’s Crack: My lover, my friend, my ultimate downfall

Cadbury’s Crème Eggs are my best guess at what Nirvana feels like. As I bite the top off and the inner creamy goodness is revealed, my surroundings cease to exist. I take each bite with my sole purpose being that I will maintain the perfect proportion of crème to chocolate from start to finish.

The process takes about five minutes. During those five minutes, one could defile a puppy with my precious flute, and I would not take note. That, and various otherwise objectionable behavior might take place directly under my nose, and I would simply sigh and take my next bite.

I would like to express my love for Cadbury’s Crème Eggs in the form of Haiku. (Please note, I have taken liberties with the number of syllables in the word chocolate.)

Summer’s heat denies
Fall and winter without fruit
Spring returns my love

Fat Tuesday cometh
But what delights does it bring?
Crème filled chocolate joy!

A cloak of chocolate
Golden rays within the core
Palm’s heat yields treasure

Can't mmm speak mmm now
busy mmm eating mmm eggs
mmmm. What did I miss?

Mmmmmmmmm.