I’ve seen him at least three times at Casa Latina. Each time he does the same thing. Orders a bread pudding and a glass of water. Sits down and quietly waits for his food. Always alone. He doesn’t know I think he’s a beautiful human.
Thai Tea
in Blog
I give thanks and praises as I brew the tea—
tea leaves and spices from distant lands
their journey long, their origins far
How fortunate we are to hold such gifts
how blessed I am to prepare this warmth
for the ones who fill this house with love
I never curse the dirty dishes
the endless rhythm of cooking and cleaning.
For there are those who would give anything
anything at all, to hear laughter echo again
to feel the weight of a shared meal
to set a table for more than one
It is always sudden, even when planned—
the silence that settles like dust
The kettle boils for no one but you now
a lone cup sits idle on the counter
And the kitchen, once alive with purpose
becomes a quiet place of learning:
how to cook for one, how to live alone
The tea is bittersweet as it cools in my hands.
~ Pretty Thunder
Thoughts of Santorini
Small rememberings of Santorini this afternoon—
The donkey ride to navigate the steep incline.
Walking up and down the small stairs and tight alleyways.
Buying ceramics, coffee, and souvlaki.
A camera heavy around my neck.
~Pretty Thunder
Cool Water Tonight
It’s after midnight here. I just turned on the water to wash my hands and it’s ice cold. I bent down and drank from the pipe and am so grateful. Images pass through my mind of times water was so scarce. Toting water deep in the bush in Wassembo. There was a narrow dirt path in the village. One had to carry a Bamboo pole about 12 to 15 feet long, with a bucket at the end of it. Once at the water source, you had to put it down the hole, catch water and bring it back up. Then walk back to the village.
~Pretty Thunder
Grateful for Sweet Potatoes
I don’t really have deep thoughts these days, if I do, I don’t know that they’re deep. Tonight, standing in the kitchen, peeling and chopping sweet potatoes. I’m so grateful. I often think about the women working hard in remote villages that I’ve traveled to. How they process their provisions, how they process their cassava. Backbreaking work with very little tools. Fufu drying in the compound. My young friend walking down a dusty dirt road to get the cassava for dinner. Grateful for the small pieces of meat. Greens, tomatoes and ground nuts. I search for the fat in my bowl. #smallthoughts #grateful
