Kitty Jospé
No
cherry
on top or
whipped cream
can restore the once rare delicacy it was,
(marinated in maraschino)
now colored fake red
When life
whispers this is wrong
when fragile
asks for real, not frozen, not pretend perfect,
this is our chance to look beyond
what is deemed
Parfait.
We
are all
breakable
and yet breathe.
If you are trying to be perfect, whipping
yourself into a pleasing meringue, STOP.
The sages will remind you, there is no perfect,
only illusion.
Parfait
is a momentary
treat, placed in life’s
glass dish
and will
melt
in a flash.
The sages will remind you chaos is part of
the feast before us— a new idea of a serving:
Parfait
with no need for cherries when you touch someone
par fait, touch after touch.
It is not illusion
when you sing; when your blood comes alive when dancing,
feeling your own beating heart, the pulse of another’s,
fait par fait.
Kitty Jospé is a retired French teacher, docent; MFA (2009) Pacific University. She loves playing with English and French; it helps to experiment with forms, sounds, which Frost would call “a momentary stay against confusion.”