<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div dir="auto" style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><p style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class="">To Flavor the Soup</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 22px;" class=""><br class=""></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class="">The storyteller died.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class="">I wanted that never to happen</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>longed for him to forever pen his tales</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>across the heavens</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>so we would remember who we were</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>in all our kaleidoscopic realness and colossal beauty.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 22px;" class=""><br class=""></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class="">But he died</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>and his particular spice—say it’s carrot--</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>will never again flavor the soup of life we are.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class="">No more carrot.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class="">There’s no substitute. </p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 22px;" class=""><br class=""></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class="">His death told me today</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class="">I have to save my spark. </p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class="">Otherwise I am wasting my life,</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>a life closer to death </p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; text-indent: 36px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class="">than I want to think.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; text-indent: 36px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 22px;" class=""><br class=""></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class="">I have to fight for myself.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class="">So I will tie shiny things </p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>to the limbs of my inner being</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>to attract the curious wildling </p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>so she will return</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>and reflect the rainbows</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>to wash the sky with our fullness.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 22px;" class=""><br class=""></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class="">I will begin to feather </p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>a basket with truth, longing and terror, wonder and despair,</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; text-indent: 36px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class="">nature’s tears, ours, words that want paper</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class="">And I will help them</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>find a home</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>a place to be read.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 22px;" class=""><br class=""></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class="">What is left of me,</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; text-indent: 36px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class="">the memory of my strength,</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class="">Will carry my brokenness </p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>to the door of help</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class="">Where I’ll face down the voice that says no</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class="">And cry, “I’m so cold. Please let me in.”</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 22px;" class=""><br class=""></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class="">I will open the eyes </p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>behind my not knowing</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class="">To recognize the woman of light, </p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>who suspended with me </p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>between life and death,<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; text-indent: 36px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class="">crossed over without a sign</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class="">And I will ask her,</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>my heart the gift I offer,</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class="">To please come back</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class="">So where we walk together</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>we make footprints</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>that release our spice </p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>into the soup of the world</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>once again.</p><div style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><p style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>- Sashana Kane Proctor</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 22px;" class=""><br class=""></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""> (In tribute to Gerald Haslam for his spice and verve.)</p></div></body></html>