Wednesday, March 19, 2008

Someone Still Has To Do The Dishes

Let me talk about this thing.
Without interruption.
Without comment.
Without laughter.

I walk out the door.
North thru the small park.
Past the swing set.
Where ghost girl swings unseen to me.

It is not yet Spring.
The snow is melting.
There is that familiar smell.
That smell of dirt waking up.

I walk up the alley.
Past the old garages with their marks of empire.
Tagged by the Westside Locos.
Tagged by Florencia 13.

On this fifth year of the Crusade.
On this Wednesday of Santa Semana.
Tomorrow the Bishop washes the feet of the Faithfull.
Friday is the Passion Play in the old gym.

Jesus will be tortured by the Romans.
The sacrifice will be made.
Judas will hang himself.
The third day will come.

I open the door.
The door of the Super Mercado.
Buy the nopales and dried shrimp.
For Friday's cactus and tortas de camerones.

I am thinking.
Thinking about the empires and gangs.
Local and global.
And how someone still has to do the dishes.

3 Comments:

Blogger Patry Francis said...

A visceral walk through your neighborhood and through history that ends with grand thoughts and the persistence of ordinary tasks. I feel as if I've been on a real journey.

3:37 PM, March 29, 2008  
Blogger MB said...

Lots of levels to this piece. Walking past desert cacti a few days ago I found myself thinking of your nopales, wondering how they'd be prepared, what dishes they'd be served on, and who'd be washing them later.

6:27 PM, March 31, 2008  
Blogger Fred Garber said...

Patry...thankyou for your comment. You know...sometimes a short walk can be a walk that transcends time and space and if we let ourselves go it can be a real adventure.

MB....thanks for the comment....Nopales can be eaten in many ways. In salads, stews, side dishes etc. Just google nopales recipes and you will find something that you like. You can buy them fresh or in bottles.

7:56 PM, March 31, 2008  

Post a Comment

<< Home