"cake"

I thought I would just bake a cake
but it's usually more than "just baking a cake"

it's time, drawn out time
deliberately working with my hands
with smells and with textures.
it's a process that
I can see through to its end.

I don't usually tell a story
but this time I will.

it's eggs and flour and salt and pepper for home
it's black pepper for unexpected everythings and someones
it's vanilla bourbon sorghum for kentucky
it's sugar for comfort and softness
it's ginger for healing and being healed now
it's butter for love
it's dark chocolate trees for where I always find myself
it's dark chocolate skies for the beauty of not knowing

and this is where I am,
but I don't know what comes next.
and this is how I baked my cake today.