To look upon Life from a distance,
To see Life as a comprehensive whole,
Is a magical and wondrous perspective.

To live life day-to-day and moment-to-moment,
To parse out its never-ending parade of intricacies,
Is a gritty and often abrasive undertaking.

From the beauty of the vision,
To the intimacy of the excrement,
I must balance my expectations.

... ... ... ... ...

If I see beauty first,
If I start  with a vision,
I will experience disappointment.

If I see specificity first,
If I prepare for adversity,
I may not hear the ensemble,
...I may not see the bolt of lightning,
...Or feel the clap of thunder,
...Or know my muse.

I must balance my expectations.

... ... ... ... ...

I find balance through creativity. In some circumstance I create deductively, by seeing the beauty first. In some circumstance I create inductively, by seeing a detail first. In all creative circumstance I work to build coherent specificity in a way that presents the whole as a wondrous and magical creation. I am seldom outwardly successful; though I would like to believe that, within each creation, I am able to intuit the beauty of the vision and the intimacy of the excrement.

I enjoy creating in the kitchen. There I can start with a detail, (for example, a kernel of corn), and build to something new and different by adding layers that aspire to completion; (such as I did this week with a new take on skillet cream corn). Or I can begin with a vision, (for example, hearty beef stroganoff), and find the elements to layer so it may be perceived as one: (as I also did this week). I am confident this simple meal did not reach Perfection, but in its creation I was able to work both from the whole and from a small, simple, individual detail, to build multiple eccentricities into a greater whole; and I did so aesthetically keeping superfluous waste to a minimum, and imperfections fairly well-hidden.

When I create from food, my body can connect the wonder of nourishment with the circular superficiality of pleasure.

When I create from food, my hands can connect the exultation of expedition with the chafe of exertion.

When I create from food, my heart and mind can connect the fulfillment of compassion with the loss of the moment.

When I create from food, my essence can connect the beauty of the vision with the intimacy of extirpation.

When I create from food, my expectations are balanced.