The Goot Blog

As I'm preparing to spend the day cooking for what we hope will be an Obama victory celebration later tonight, and Karen is taking down the Day of the Dead altars we created for her uncle Leonard who recently died and for my brother David, this poem from a recent Writer's Almanac resonates deeply.

Lessons

by Pat Schneider

I have learned
that life goes on,
or doesn't.
That days are measured out
in tiny increments
as a woman in a kitchen
measures teaspoons
of cinnamon, vanilla,
or half a cup of sugar
into a bowl.

I have learned
that moments are as precious as nutmeg,
and it has occurred to me
that busy interruptions
are like tiny grain moths,
or mice.
They nibble, pee, and poop,
or make their little worms and webs
until you have to throw out the good stuff
with the bad.

It took two deaths
and coming close myself
for me to learn
that there is not an infinite supply
of good things in the pantry.

# posted by goots @ 6:43 AM 1 comments