Compatibilist
Awareness was intermittent. It sputtered.
And some of the time you were seen
asleep. So trying to appear whole
you asked of the morning: Is he free
who is not free from pain? It started to rain
a particulate alloy of flecked grey; the dogs
wanted out into their atlas of smells; to pee
where before they had peed, and might
well pee again — though it isn’t
a certainty. What is? In the set,
called Phi, of all possible physical worlds
resembling this one, in which, at time t,
was written ‘ Is he free who is not free —’
and comes the cramp. Do you want
to be singular, onstage, praised,
or blamed? I watched a field of sun-
flowers dial their ruddy faces toward
what they needed and was good. At noon
they were chalices upturned, gilt-edged,
and I lived in that same light but felt
alone. I chose to phone my brother,
over whom I worried, and say so.
He whispered, lacked affect. He’d lost
my record collection to looming debt. I
forgave him — through weak connections,
through buzz and oceanic crackle —
immediately, without choosing to,
because it was him I hadn’t lost; and
later cried myself to sleep. In that village
near Dijon, called Valley of Peace,
a pond reflected its dragonflies
over a black surface at night, and
the nuclear reactor’s far-off halo
of green light changed the night sky
to the west. A pony brayed, stamping
a hoof on inlaid stone. The river’s reeds
lovely, but unswimmable. World death
on the event horizon; vigils with candles
in cups. I’ve mostly replaced my records,
and acted in ways I can’t account for.
Cannot account for what you’re about
to do. We should be held and forgiven.
Compatibilist in Airstream Land Yacht, Ken Babstock
The weather, which doesn't seem to have settled on spring yet, calls for a transition salad: cold but with winter(-ish) ingredients.
You can substitute any lentils that will hold their shape during cooking (with husk).
Puy lentil and beetroot salad with hazelnut vinaigrette
(vegan, gluten-free)
250 g Puy lentils, uncooked
2 garlic cloves
1 medium beetroot, cooked or raw (about 250 g)
100 g sun-dried tomatoes in oil
4-5 spring onions
50 g hazelnut, roughly chopped
a small handful of seed crackers (optional)
pepper
herbes de Provence
Cook lentils with garlic cloves until tender. Strain, remove garlic and set aside to cool completely.
Chop the beetroot into thin strips or shred it if using raw and quarter the onions. Remove excess oil from the sun-dried tomatoes. Combine all ingredients in a salad bowl and season with pepper and herbes de Provence. Crush seed crackers on top. Serve with hazelnut and raspberry vinaigrette.
Hazelnut and raspberry vinaigrette
140 ml hazelnut oil
100 ml sunflower oil (or other neutral oil)
80 ml raspberry vinegar
15 g Dijon mustard
salt and white pepper, to taste
In a bowl, whisk all ingredients thoroughly. Season to taste with salt and white pepper. Keep vinaigrette in a sealed jar or bottle and shake before serving.
Salade de lentilles du Puy et betterave, vinaigrette à la noisette
250 g lentilles du Puy
2 gousses d'ail
1 betterave de taille moyenne (environ 250 g)
100 g tomates séchées à l'huile
4-5 oignons blancs
50 g noisettes, concassées
une petite poignée de crackers aux graines (facultatif)
poivre
herbes de Provence
Cuire les lentilles avec les gousses d'ail jusqu'à ce qu'elles soient tendres. Égoutter, retirer l'ail et laisser refroidir complètement. Tailler la betterave en fine lamelles et les oignons en quatre. Dans un saladier, mélanger tous les ingrédients et assaisonner avec du poivre et des herbes de Provence. Écraser quelques crakers aux graines sur le dessus. Servir avec une vinaigrette à la noisette.
Vinaigrette à la noisette et à la framboise
140 ml huile de noisette
100 ml huile de tournesol (ou autre huile de saveur neutre)
80 ml vinaigre de framboise
15 g moutarde de Dijon
sel et poivre blanc
Dans un bol, mélanger au fouet tous les ingrédients pour créer une émulsion.
