a whimsical spirit

Photo by Erin Paulson

CUCUMBERS AND PRAYERS

All day long
The earth shouts
“Gee, thanks.”

Such an exuberant gee,
It starts throwing
Things

As if God were passing by in a parade encouraging
Rowdy behavior
By looking so beautiful—
That a whole avalanche of mania swoops in!

I like this idea of throwing things at God,
And especially—His making us rowdy!

Thus, as soon as Hafiz is out of bed
I start stuffing large sacks
With old shoes, cucumbers,
And prayers

For the upcoming
Consecrated

Free-for all—
And who knows
What else.

-Hafiz, 14th century Iranian poet and master of Sufism
Translation by Daniel Ladinsky

The title of this blog is taken from a Hafiz poem that simply makes me laugh. I just love the idea of feeling so exuberant toward life that the only satisfactory form of self-expression is to throw cucumbers. If I were to do this they would have to be pealed and sliced. I like the image of cucumber slices glimmering as they soar through the air. The sunlight bouncing off their dewy centers, until they settle among blades of grass on an overgrown lawn. The phrase ‘cucumbers and prayers’ just felt like the perfect combination of whimsy and faith to suit my own perception of life.

Coming Soon...

Stop by Thursday for a look at majestic views from San Bernadino Peak, a transverse mountain range along the southern edge of the Mojave Desert.