Reflections on an ailing body

Sesamoid bone, left first metatarsal

The first year I was allowed to start a fire at Boy Scout camp, resulted in unmitigated embarrassment. Having collected all the necessary elements to build a raging inferno, I sat cross-legged and got to work. Rubbing two sticks together in a mad panic—like I’d seen countless times on Saturday morning cartoons—as Liam exhausted his breath fanning the non-existent flame. The only spark, a crackle from my father’s belly, mocking our futile attempts. Four years later, we leave this token to the next crop of tenderfoots, so that they may avoid a repeat performance.

The 114th Trinity Boy Scout Troop’s Guide to Lighting a Fire:

1)      Avoid using leaves if you value your lungs.

2)      Scouter Gerry’s Wonder Bread bag is full of bric-a-brac that burns friendly.

3)      Scouter Guy will hide the lighter: make sure you have a magnifying glass or flintstones.

4)      Patience & tenderness.

5)      To make the blaze dance: a dash of hot chocolate powder.  

Extensor Tendons, right foot

An acquaintance of mine posts videos, to Instagram, in which they deconstruct an old piano. They harvest the strings to build an Aeolian harp.

I feel like I’m privy to a small crime; tension builds as I wait for them to snip the strings.

Steel curls skyward like my sister’s bangs, that time my cousin convinced her he was a barber.

patellofemoral joints

Left: Elegant Lady. Bright red all over, with a deep yellow flesh, these freestone peaches are known for their large size. Yielding bountiful harvests, they are ideal to use in cobblers, due to their exquisite balance of sugar and acid. If enjoyed fresh, cut into quarters to avoid embarrassing chin dribbles.

Right: White Health. A long-standing favourite of canners, this very late harvest clingstone peach is notable for its creamy white skin. Do not be fooled by this fruit’s pale hue: its stubborn stone imbues the flesh with a lavish flavour, hearty enough to withstand the oldest preservation techniques.