Tao of Da-da 25: Still Life With Casserole

Still Life With Casserole.

25

There was something quiet and perfect
before the Small Beings were born.
All was serene. Empty of the Ten Thousand Things
that now lie scattered all over the house.
Things were solitary. Unchanging. NICE.
Pillows stayed on the sofa, infinite, eternally present.
Then Ma-ma became Ma-ma and changed all this.
Da-da had nothing to do with it, honestly.
He just lives here.

When the Small Beings are in school,
echoes of this past solitude flow through all things
inside and out, and return again and again
to mock A Man Called Da-da.

Don’t get Da-da wrong.

The Small Beings are great.
Ma-ma is great.
The Ten Thousand Thing Debri Field is great.
SpongeBob is great.
These are the four great powers.
A Man Called Da-da is way at the back of the bus.

But the new order of things is intriguing.
The Small Beings follow the Ma-ma.
The Ma-ma brings home the bacon.
A Man Called Da-da fries it up in a pan with some onions,
removes the bacon, adds burger and green peppers,
a tablespoon of chili powder, salt & pepper,
meanwhile he boils bowtie pasta al dente, 
mixes it all with quarter-inch chunks of cheddar cheese
and a big can of stewed tomatoes,
bakes it for about an hour at 375 degrees
and serves it up.

Later, A Man Called Da-da follows behind
cleaning up the empty dishes.

Serenity and quiet reign once again,
except now there are leftovers.

[Excerpted from Da-da's unpublished third best seller, The Tao of Da-da (or "Strong Winds CAN Blow All Day, Depending on How Much Sugar Has Been Ingested"). Void where prohibited. Only gentle, two-fisted publishers may apply. Soon to be a MAJOR MOTION PICTURE, if not an awesome audio book. Da-da used to do voiceovers.]