Ever green…

The river itself was like glass…

We walked slowly alongside it,

the heat of the day pressing heavily upon us…

A group of peasant women were laying out their laundry,

to bleach in the sun…

Tsila exchanged greetings with them,

her eyes assessing the quality of their linen…

I longed to dip my feet in the coolness of the water,

but I knew we were hurrying…

Tsila reached down,

cupped water in her hand,

and cooled first my face,

and then,

her own…

— in your mouth is lovely by Nancy Richler

While I was washing up the dishes today,

I remembered the first and only B.C. Lions game I ever attended,

It must have been back in 1980 or so,

because I had braces,

a middle part,

and yes,

zits…

Things haven’t changed that much since then…

I got my braces off a long time ago,

but last week my hair stylist tried to resurrect the middle part…

By the time I got to my car I’d corrected the resurrection,

and put everything back into its appropriate order…

I’ve never been one to call into radio stations,

but something must have possessed me back when I was twelve,

because I did once,

and won two tickets to a game a Swangard stadium…

My mother and her tap dancing friends were all over what I should do with the other ticket,

and made arrangements for one of their sons who was at least nineteen,

and managed the blue berry patch where I picked in the summers,

to take me…

Sometimes you think you’re growing up in Richmond,

in the 20th century,

but then you realize you’re in a village outside of Minsk,

in the 18oo’s,

playing out an age-old tale,

and it’s all equally awkward,

but this time you have a choice…

By the time I got to be twenty-two,

my best friend tried to set me up with a co-worker,

using a fax machine…

I remember being in the basement,

sitting with the dog at my mother’s desk,

when the fax came through,

with a drawing of a young man sitting on a motorcycle,

wearing a white undershirt,

and a speech bubble out of his mouth saying,

Interested in going for a ride on my crotch rocket???

I have a sense of humour,

I found this funny…

But I was always looking for something,

with a little more complexity,

and attention to detail…

Plus,

when we got face to face,

I knew he wasn’t my blood type…

I don’t have that fax in my possession any more,

as the image eventually faded away…

But last year I received a message on my voice-mail,

with an invitation to a by-election,

on North Road…

And as it turns out,

the guy from the fax is now a member of parliament,

with salmon sense…

Yesterday I spent the day making borscht,

because that’s what the weather called for…

I slow cooked some short ribs for nearly the whole day,

adding shredded beets,

and cabbage,

at the very last minute…

And today I watched two really beautiful interviews,

that hit a whole bunch of nails on the head,

of yoga,

meditation,

and radical practice…

I really couldn’t have said it better myself,

through a dissertation,

passed without revisions…

Tonight there was a knock at my door,

and I opened it to find my six year old neighbour,

with blue-green eyes,

wearing a Carhartt jacket,

just standing there,

with a gift,

all wrapped up,

in his golden cape…

As I opened up the presentation,

he said,

I made something for you…

All by myself…

The folds of the fabric

revealed,

sacred text…

All hand taped,

and full of living colour:

THE book of love,

from Chan…

The story begins like this,

once upon a time there was an old lady,

and an old man…

They were farmers…

They had tons and tons of sheep and goats and horses and cows…

And all the animals they had were happy…

This very special delivery,

left me speechless,

and wondering,

how,

anyone,

could ever say no to a dream,

that arrives on your front porch…