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11/23/11

Rachel Levy

I Now Enjoy The Taste Of Boiled Potatoes 

I’ve been up to so little lately; however, preparing food takes time. It is hot here. I shower frequently. The heat has dulled my mind and character, but awakened in me the instinct to migrate north. Only the very young and the very old are at risk (that is what the authorities report). But measured against the old, I am very young. And measured against the young, I am very old. I see no way out of this paradox. In any case, there is only the weather to talk about. The old highs are becoming the new lows (that is what the authorities report). Listen, I’ve decided to consolidate my vocabulary. (You still haven’t answered my question. Why else does the thesaurus exist?) There is no distance between instinct and fear, but the distance between parsley and dill is absolute. That is the simpler science and so it is more perfect. Today I am generous; I feel like a teacher. It is possible to sweeten the flesh. Please, follow my lead. Boil water. Add celery, carrot, parsley, pepper, nutmeg.

Rachel Levy is the author of a chapbook, Necessary Objects (forthcoming, Ghost Ocean Press). Her prose can be found in places like Drunken Boat, PANK, and NANO Fiction. She lives in Boulder, CO, where she teaches and studies writing.

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