“Mortal Coils II” Farida Haque

A State of Holy JoySorrow

~ beyond lean, and back ~

Sara,*

you wrote of “Meatless Days.”**

My dear,

my dear, dear lady

whom I admire like hell

as I do many others —

my dear,

I am tired of picking

the bleached bones of

meatless years.

Gnawing at ferreted

memories of meatless years,

Turning my back

on the empty abattoir

of meatless years.

Back then,

when I read your book

I thanked you

(in my heart, of course)

for visiting your

magical chiaroscuro

of childhood’s carousel

on me,

the steeds of which

flashed by too fast

— ah, on quicksilver wings!

And I thank you again.

We women share an ancient

hunger of body and soul.