Red

Today is the first day of 2013. I've begun with a cleanse: a fast for ten days and a spiritual journey into this new age. One of the numerous themes of this cleanse is the colors of the rainbow. I'm celebrating each of them, in turn, by acknowledging their power, contemplating on their messages and enjoying things with their color. 

Today is the day of Red. I happen to be wearing a red shirt. I chose a beet to color my water and, later, it will be saffron. I like those two foods. Saffron is more valuable than gold in today's market and has often been a commodity only to the rich. Beets, on the other hand, are very cheap and have been staples for the common-person all over Eastern Europe for centuries. I bring them together in one container today, acknowledging the royalty and the scarcity that Red represents. It is earthy and spicy.

I look in the mirror and notice I am bleeding at a small puncture in my skin. The deep color of blood reminds me of how vital and rich Red is. I think of myself as beige or tan but the truth is that the most of me is pink and red: muscles, organs, tissue, bone marrow, blood. 

Red things I think of today include: a satin pajama gown I used to have, lipstick, raspberries, roses in my backyard, cardinals I saw in Pittsburgh against the snow, hot sauce, tomatoes ripe at the heat of Summer, cherry juice, pomegranate stains, my favorite wines and washing wine glasses the morning after a bottle, the color of my hair dyed with henna, my first car, bogs of cranberries, unknown berries on walks in the wilderness, a bullseye, a stop sign, the Republican Party, the Communist Party, anger.