in a halo of light

1. fridge-stowed orangeslices
pretty much the best
of all variations possible
way to start a day

2. i carry water pitcher-full by pitcher-full
offering it to the moats around
the mint
thyme
volunteer tomato
sungold tomato
seed-started marigold
basil
whose top two leaves i pinch off
so that it will
grow more stems
of more leaves
for summer eating

3. that warm water
cascading over
might
uncrimp
my spine
and the pain
radiating out from it

4. woman benchseated and buswaiting
cheers as i pedal past
taking a whole lane
i smile
a blur
headed west

5. two things are free in israel
she (in flowy pantsuit with orange) says
to give birth and
to die

6. every sabbath in jerusalem
orthodox jewish neighborhoods
self-blockaded
so vehicle-machines
cannot enter
though i only have a slice of jewish
in my ancestry
and would never qualify as orthodox
i ache
for a sacred
as embodied

7. wen ling kneeling writes
lantern wishes
in a halo of light
while
videoprojected
fireworks spill silver on one wall and
paper lanterns lift up and away on another
making magic take two

8. while i take knife to onions
david
asks
did you work in a kitchen?
he can tell by watching

9. friday night nina simone
on cassette
and before we know it
we’re talking about the phenomena
of sterility
in the united states of america
and i’m talking about
how
tijuana fulfills my aesthetic longing for texture