We finished lunch and went to brush mum's teeth. There were quite a few ladies in the ladies' washrooms but most of them were behind closed doors. Mum cleaned her teeth so discreetly that nobody noticed.
Back in the mall she bared her teeth. Can you see any lettuce? she asked. No, I replied, I can't. Was there any point mentioning the chunk of white pastry lodged between two of her teeth? The dentist could poke that out later, with a prong.
We had more than an hour to look at the shops. We went into Laura Ashley and Esprit. We looked at the two Sydney Streets. One Sydney Street is more dressy, the other more sporty. In the sporty one we saw a bargain. An unstructured jacket knitted in dark green silk string. It once cost four hundred dollars but now you could have it for fifty.
Try it on, said my mum. I want to see what it looks like. I tried it on. I turned sideways to look at myself in a mirror. I looked like a disconsolate pine.
Showing posts with label prong. Show all posts
Showing posts with label prong. Show all posts
Friday, February 18, 2011
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Green Star Dreaming
Lord Buddha!
Yes?
What do you know of dreams?
They are empty and meaningless.
I dream of green stars before I fall asleep.
Before you fall asleep? That is a monkey dream.
I know why I dream it. The green stars are weeds. And I have been spending too long in the garden with my weeding prong. That isn't what I wanted to ask.
What then?
I seek enlightenment. Today I was in the front garden pulling up green weeds with my prong, when suddenly I had the strangest sensation. As if I were asleep, and dreaming of green stars, illuminated by the sun.
So you were awake, and weeding, and yet it seemed that you were asleep and dreaming that you were awake and weeding?
Yes.
And how did you feel about this?
I knew that I preferred to be asleep and dreaming. Because in the dream I'm simply staring into the heart of the weeds and not actually weeding.
That is because you are lying down.
Is that important?
You will never accomplish the task of weeding that way.
May I ask you something? Are you sure that you are the real Buddha?
Why do you ask?
You sound like me.
Yes?
What do you know of dreams?
They are empty and meaningless.
I dream of green stars before I fall asleep.
Before you fall asleep? That is a monkey dream.
I know why I dream it. The green stars are weeds. And I have been spending too long in the garden with my weeding prong. That isn't what I wanted to ask.
What then?
I seek enlightenment. Today I was in the front garden pulling up green weeds with my prong, when suddenly I had the strangest sensation. As if I were asleep, and dreaming of green stars, illuminated by the sun.
So you were awake, and weeding, and yet it seemed that you were asleep and dreaming that you were awake and weeding?
Yes.
And how did you feel about this?
I knew that I preferred to be asleep and dreaming. Because in the dream I'm simply staring into the heart of the weeds and not actually weeding.
That is because you are lying down.
Is that important?
You will never accomplish the task of weeding that way.
May I ask you something? Are you sure that you are the real Buddha?
Why do you ask?
You sound like me.
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