Before
      the
      Beginning
      The
      Pickle
      Salesman
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
        
     
    
   
   
    
     
      She
      came
      from
      the
      murky
      depths,
     
     
      the
      darkness
      swaddled
      her,
     
     
      shaped
      her.
      She
      turned
      circles
     
     
      and
      somersaults
      trying
      to
      find
     
    
   
   
    
     
      the
      way
      up.
      She
      was
      a
      creature
      conceived
     
     
      in
      darkness,
      but
      was
      the
      child
      of
      light.
     
     
      She
      pulled
      herself
      out
      of
      the
      quagmire
     
     
      and
      into
      the
      land
      of
      light
      where
      the
      Eve
     
    
   
   
    
     
      of
      day
      began.
      The
      garden
      was
      bright,
     
     
      dry,
      and
      clean;
      luscious,
      fruiting
     
     
      green
      trees
      and
      plants
      surrounded
     
     
      the
      bog
      from
      which
      she
      came.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      But
      she
      reached
      back
      into
      that
      other
     
     
      realm,
      grasped
      the
      hand
      of
      her
      lover,
     
     
      and
      brought
      him
      into
      the
      world
     
    

    
     
      they
      would
      create
      together.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Robertson
      Library
      -
      Food
      for
      Fines
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Do
      you
      have
      library
      fines?
      Would
      you
      like
      to
      help
      a
     
     
      fellow
      student
      or
      family
      on
      Campus?
      :
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Bring
      1-
      5
      non-perishable
      food
      or
      grocery
      item
      (e.g.
     
     
      canned
      goods,
      pasta,
      light
      bulbs,
      toilet
      paper,
      etc.)
      for
      the
     
     
      Campus
      Food
      Bank
      to
      the
      Circulation
      Desk
      at
      the
      Library
     
    

    
     
      from
      Monday
      Nov.
      24
      to
      Monday
      Dec.
      15
      and
      we’ll
     
    

    
     
      deduct
      $2.00
      per
      item
      (up
      to
      $10.00)
      from
      your
      library
     
     
      fines.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
         
     
    
   
   
    
     
      He
      comes
      by
      twice
      a
      week
      to
      show
      and
      sell
     
     
      so
      many
      kinds
      of
      pickles
      in
      his
      jars.
     
    

    
     
      Some
      have
      beetles
      pickled
      in
      their
      shell;
     
    

    
     
      he
      even
      has,
      he
      says,
      snarrots
      from
      Mars.
     
     
      Snarrots,
      I
      am
      told,
      are
      just
      carrots
      that
      bite
     
     
      with
      garlic
      and
      pepper;
      but
      do
      you
      believe
     
     
      he
      went
      away
      to
      Mars?
      That
      is
      a
      mite
     
    

    
     
      too
      far
      fetched
      for
      a
      simple
      man
      to
      achieve.
     
     
      His
      best
      saltpetre
      and
      pepper
      pickles
      prickle
     
     
      an
      unsuspecting
      tongue;
      but
      his
      cashew,
     
     
      pecan
      and
      maple.
      pickle
      give
      a
      tickle
     
    

    
     
      to
      teeth,
      a
      tickle
      which
      dentists
      eschew.
     
     
      But
      his
      favourite
      pickle
      is
      kept
      in
      a
      firkin,
     
     
      and
      well
      known
      it
      is,
      as
      a
      common
      gherkin.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Day
      at
      the
      Beach
     
    
   
   
    
     
         
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      I
      slip
      my
      hands
      under
      the
      blanket
      of
      sand,
     
     
      the
      hot
      grains
      burning;
     
     
      my
      hands
      wriggle
      deeper
     
     
      into
      the
      cooler
      unsunned
     
     
      sands.
     
     
      My
      fingers
      drink
      in
      the
      coolness
     
     
      as
      my
      back
      reddens.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      You
     
     
      appear
      behind
      me,
     
     
      your
      shadow
     
     
      temporarily
      quenching
     
     
      the
      intense
      rays;
     
     
      ocean
      drips
     
     
      from
      you
     
     
      like
      the
     
     
      coolness
     
     
      of
      a
      limestone
      cave.
      Smoothing
      out
      the
      sand,
     
     
      I
      draw
      pictures
      while
      you
      let
      the
      drips
     
     
      fall
      and
      chill
      at
     
     
      random.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      UPEI
      Cadre
      December
      2
      2003
      page
      4