That the Soul May Wax Plump

    "He who has reached the highest degree of emptiness will be secure in repose¹."——A Taoist saying

    My dumpy little mother on the undertaker's slab²

    had a mannequin's grace. From chin to foot

    the sheet outlined her， thin and tall. Her face

    uptilted， bloodless， smooth， had a long smile.

    Her head rested on a block under her nape，

    her neck was long， her hair waved， upswept. But later，

    at "the viewing，" sunk in the casket in pink tulle，

    an expensive present that might spoil， dressed

    in Eden's green apron³， organdy bonnet⁴ on，

    she shrank， grew short again， and yellow. Who

    put the gold-rimmed glasses on her shut face， who

    laid her left hand with the wedding ring on

    her stomach that really didn't seem to be there

    under the fake lace？

    Mother's work before she died was self-purification，

    a regimen of near starvation， to be worthy⁵ to go

    to Our Father， Whom she confused （or， more aptly， fused）

    with our father， in Heaven long since. She believed

    in evacuation， an often and fierce purgation，

    meant to teach the body to be hollow， that the soul

    may wax plump. At the moment of her death， the wind

    rushed out from all her pipes at once. Throat and rectum

    sang together， a galvanic spasm⁶， hiss⁷ of ecstasy⁸.

    Then， a flat collapse⁹. Legs and arms flung wide，

    like that female Spanish saint slung¹⁰ by the ankles

    to a cross， her mouth stayed open in a dark O. So，

    her vigorous soul whizzed free. On the undertaker's slab， she

    lay youthful， cool， triumphant¹¹， with a long smile.