Asking Too Much
I want you to tell me about every person you’ve ever been in love with
Tell me why you loved them,
then tell me why they loved you
Tell me about a day in your life you didn’t think you’d live through
Tell me what the word “home” means to you
And tell me in a way that I’ll know your mothers name
just by the way you describe your bed room when you were 8
See, I wanna know the first time you felt the weight of hate
And if that day still trembles beneath your bones
Do you prefer to play in puddles of rain
or bounce in the bellies of snow?
And if you were to build a snowman, would you rip two branches from a tree
to build your snowman arms?
Or would you leave the snowman armless for the sake of being harmless to the tree?
And if you would, would you notice how that tree weeps for you
because your snowman has no arms to hug you every time you kiss him on the cheek?
Do you kiss your friends on the cheek?
Do you sleep beside them when they’re sad,
even if it makes your lover mad?
Do you think that anger is a sincere emotion
or just the timid motion of a fragile heart trying to beat away its pain?
See, I wanna know what you think of your first name
And if you often lie awake at night and imagine your mothers joy when she spoke it for the very first time
I want you tell me all the ways you’ve been unkind.
Tell me all the ways you’ve been cruel.
Tell me—knowing I often picture Gandhi at ten years old beating up little boys at school.
If you were walking by a chemical plant, where smoke stacks
were filling the sky with dark, black clouds, would you holler, “Poison! Poison! Poison!” really loud or would whisper,
“That cloud looks like a fish, and that cloud looks like a fairy”?
Do you believe that Mary was really a virgin?
Do you believe that Moses really parted the sea?
And if you don’t believe in miracles,
tell me, how would you explain the miracle of my life to me?
notes on hibiscus
By ANA
It’s hibiscus season. Hibiscus is a perennial that blooms mid to late summer. The beautiful flowers have a short life span - only one to two days, and vary in color as well as petal shape.
But hibiscus is more than just a beautiful flower - she’s got a wide range of medicinal qualities ranging from:
⁃ Anti-inflammatory
⁃ Antioxidant - she’s packed with Vitamin C
⁃ Diuretic (great for urinary tract health. Also because of her astringent quality)
⁃ Hepatoprotective (protects the liver)
⁃ Helps lower blood pressure - In addition to lowering blood pressure, some studies have found that hibiscus tea may help improve blood fat levels, which can be another risk factor for heart disease
⁃ Several studies have also suggested that hibiscus tea may be associated with weight loss
Her sweet and sour flavor is quenching for the summer months, especially if you brew her into an infusion and drink her iced.
Whether you prefer your hibiscus tea hot or cold, you'll need to follow a few basic steps to brew the perfect cuppa. Simple yet delectable, this tea is easy to make.
Hibiscus tea is made from the petals and sepals (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sepal) — the green plant part found just below the petals — of the hibiscus plant. The tea is very popular in the Caribbean and the Mexican peninsula.
If you would like to use fresh hibiscus flowers from your garden, you'll need to harvest and dry the petals before brewing your tea. You can harvest large amounts of hibiscus flowers and store the dried petals in an airtight container for multiple uses. It will generally take about eight to 10 petals for a standard pot of tea.
Harvest the hibiscus petals and sepals when the flower is in full bloom by removing the calyx — the bulb-like part of the plant between the flower and the stem. Make sure to only harvest from hibiscus plants that are free from chemicals and pesticides for the best-tasting and healthiest tea. Remove the stamens — the stem-like filaments with yellow pollen pods in the center that give hibiscus flowers their distinctive look — from each flower and soak the flower petals in a bowl of water to eliminate dirt and dust.
Set petals on a drying rack outside in a dry, sunny spot. You should allow the petals to dry completely, which can take anywhere from three days to one week depending on temperatures and humidity. Alternatively, you can use a dehydrator indoors
Once dried, you can steep, strain and enjoy. You can make enough to refrigerate, and of course, you can sweeten with some local honey.
I also like to add dried rose petals to my hibiscus.
You can also use hibiscus flowers to make hair and skin oils. Make hair oil by grinding hibiscus flowers into a paste and combining with coconut oil. Simmer on low heat for 5 minutes and allow infusing for 48 hours. Filter using a fine mesh and store in an airtight glass container. Alternatively, you can use brewed hibiscus tea as a
hair rinse or shampoo.