The Ingredients of Catharsis

Release, when it comes, is best served with a grain of salt
For it's been so long brewing that anticipation is pungent
Sweeten to taste with local honey, something fit for a prince
Or substitute with some unrefined beet or cane sugar

Grind slowly in a mortar of regret
Using a solid pestle for the best blend
Crush and pulverize the sense of alienation
If need be, pound heavily and enjoy the sensation

Simmer until the stock in trade has been clarified
A half cup of consommé should be more than you need
Bitter fruits are to be avoided if at all possible
Not every guest can handle the likely fermentation

A few drops of concern should be sufficient to allay any anxiety
Pair with a tart topping of wist to highlight the sourness
Loneliness should sizzle to properly savor the contrast
If you prefer astringency, serve medium rare but use only the freshest cuts

Consider the sense of purpose and remember your roots
Answers emerge languidly from the recesses of the mind
Albeit golden memories make for the perfect pairing
Don't restrict yourself, indulge your imagination

Someday soon you'll surely return home and recapture the feeling
When you can drop the mask and, unfiltered, embrace normalcy
And testify in earnest conversation, a return to innocence
Relief and equanimity, the main ingredients of catharsis

Ingredients of Catharsis, a playlist

A soundtrack for this note (spotify version)

• Kinshasa Mboka Ya Makambo by Franco
  A striking mood piece, if this was a concert opener, you'd know you were in for a very special treat.
• The Ingredients of Love by Angie Stone and Musiq Soulchild
• Salt by Lizz Wright
• I Want a Little Sugar in my Bowl by Nina Simone
• Testify by Sounds of Blackness
• Been so Long by Anita Baker
• Just don't want to be Lonely by The Main Ingredient
• I Shall be Released by Nina Simone
• The Pressure by Sounds of Blackness
• Nice 'n Greasy by Lou Donaldson
• At Last by Etta James
• Release by Hil St. Soul
• Kinshasa Mboka Ya Makambo by Franco (live)
  The live rendition always stops me in my tracks, the simplicity of the performance, the way he grips the audience taking his time to cajole, lament and celebrate his return. He never forgot his roots, his people and this city of many troubles. Franco is sorely missed, a legend in African music.

File under: culture, observation, perception, displacement, poetry, toli

Writing log. June 3, 2022