And then again for the land.
And this piece too was a little bit
of an assignment for a group of folks
here in town that harvest mesquite beans and grind it,
or else you can take your mesquite beans to them
and grind it.
And they're also water harvesters and educators
around water harvesting in the Tucson area.
And the topic I chose was about eating.
And I just called it "Feasting," because it really isn't eating.
Feasting is more than just eating.
Anyway, so it's called "Feasting."
"Mesquite bark, dirt, pollen, and water.
The flavor of the aroma mingle at the back of my mouth,
calling on my senses.
The taste of green is so strong, it
colors the tongue like a gumball.
The flavor of dirt is more than that.
I can feel the grit scrape my palate.
The imagined grains grind between my teeth.
The dust of pollen rests on the hairs of my nostrils
like they would on the delicate abdomen of a bee.
I taste through smell.
I imagine nectar seeping through me.
The holiness of the moisture of clouds is gourmet.
I gorge on the summer and winter rains of the desert.
I savor the goodness of wetness.
It has the strongest aftertaste.
The taste lasts a long time, moving me to recall it--
a reminder of my humanness.
I feast, but I eat nothing."