Thursday, November 26, 2009

Feast



I heard the eagle's piercing cry this morning as I lay in bed,
contemplating plating & pickles (my homemade 911 dills
debut today). I listened to the insistent rain,
and the steady stream from overflowing gutters.
And a cat nicknamed "Marble" purring up her own
gentle storm directly into my face, which translates to
FEED ME FEED ME FEED ME NOW.

This is my favorite feast of the year, the only requirement
that we acknowledge the abundance of the moment.
Food is such an ephemeral pleasure; but, then again,
which pleasure is not ephemeral? It all passes.
I'm reminded of a dinner of, oh, perhaps ten years ago,
to celebrate the simultaneous birthdays
of my mother-in-law and another friend.
High in the Belltown condo of Seattle arts VIP
Peter Donnelly, with breath-taking views
of the December lights of Elliott Bay, we tippled, indulged
and made a heck of a lot of merry. I recall a humble
yet sumptuous chicken pot pie, which, as the years
have passed, has in my memory taken on the proportions
of Dickens' prized turkey --
"What, the one as big as me?" returned the boy.

Only eight of us remain from that grand evening.
But suspended in the joy of that moment, I had the sense
of the eternal and the ephemeral existing simultaneously,
the yin and yang of each second we experience.

This is what I wish to serve up
at the Thanksgiving table today.
Whatever your celebration, your feast, your observance --
acknowledge the ephemeral, honor the present,
and have yourself some damn good pie.
Because, as you well know, it's over all too soon.

12 comments:

  1. Here, here!

    Thank you, T. for getting right to the heart of it.

    Time for me to chop some onions.

    Happy, happy Thanksgiving.

    ReplyDelete
  2. And thank-you, Joannie! Happy days, always.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Well, I've done the first part of that - I went down and wandered in Ballard Park and along Gooseneck Cove to savor the day. Now I need to go chop some onion and other veggies and find out what that roasted garlic chicken sausage with onion & herbs tastes like. Have a good Thanksgiving!

    ReplyDelete
  4. A perfectly lovely day, from weather, to company to food.

    Though it seems that with the exception of myself and a couple of others, everyone including the adolescents, were under the weather with something or other.

    So we who weren't having upset tummies or allergies or colds evidently believed it our obligation to be even more cheery and helpful and happy to signal our appreciation for the bravery and good nature of the others who all stoutly were determined to carry on and make a Good Day for everyone else.

    I spent 2 1/2 hours doing the clean-up single-handedly, except for one person who dried dishes. That really cheered up those who didn't feel so well, including the hosts!

    Love, C.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Foxessa, I do believe you're invoking the voice of Louisa May Alcott in your comment!

    ReplyDelete
  6. T -- You know, you might be right! That is very LMAish. Hmmmm. Channeling, you know, can be carried Too Far. :)

    Love, C.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Hi T. Clear

    Your US Thanksgiving is a holiday/celebration I have a soft spot for and have come to adopt in my life in NZ. The day invites focused time for remembering & honouring, acknowledgments & thanks... a look to the abundance of tangible and intangible riches that life offers up in the midst of the knots and challenges. I love the way Thanksgiving brings people together and bypasses the regrettable commercialism around Christmas.

    This wee snippet from a comment I left for you on my blog earlier today (its many posts back, so this is just in case you don't see it there!)...

    '... I wonder what the 'T' in 'T. Clear' stands for? I certainly appreciate the clarity and Transparency that threads its way through all your writing.

    Happy Thanksgiving.'

    Blessings, Claire

    ReplyDelete
  8. Lovely post, T. It IS all so ephemeral...so fleeting...so unreal as we look back into the past. We spent the day with my daughter's future in-laws, my ex-husband (Laurel's dad) and my 'current' wife. A tad surreal, but satisfying nonetheless.

    Damn good pies? Oh honey, we had pumpkin, pecan, blueberry and loganberry. Made by my own child...

    Season's greetings to you and yours!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Claire -- Greetings from the other side of the planet, and thanks for stopping by! Yes, Thanksgiving is a holiday with few requirements, and it's my favorite.

    To answer your question of the "T.":
    http://premium-t.blogspot.com/2007/12/i-have-absolutely-no-time-for-this-blog.html

    ReplyDelete
  10. Tara, I looked at the Thanksgiving photo you posted on facebook this morning, and I thought -- what a wonderful family!

    Season's greeting back-atcha!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Therese - a pleasure to meet a little more of you! Thanks for the link to Nom de Moi.

    Referring to your most recent post, my commiserations to you and your back.

    Take care
    Claire.

    ReplyDelete