Empty Nest

Empty Nest Norma Evans Barber 11-29-10 The silence of a quiet nest Surrounds me As I sit at the sink Chewing on my probiotic pomegranate seeds Blood red and juicy, Severing with my tongue seed from seed Through and around bridge cavities, Bunching groups of tasteless seeds together To the left side of my mouth. Yes, it’s an art! I release with one big suck and swallow The juice blocked away on the right, Then with one strong swoosh Eject bundled lumps of pits into the trash. I feel—sheer mind over matter— The juice purify my under scalp And think how beneficial it must be To have juicy red blood Sanitize my brain. Is my retreat to sensory eating Symptomatic of our communication barrier? Or an indication That years have rolled by us Leaving age, and self, and Peculiar quirks That cause me to believe The dream of growing old together and loving it Is just for us and many more A myth, a mirage, a dream?