The other day, I baked some rather tasty chicken thighs for dinner. As we ate, all was well--until my hubby took a bite close to the chicken bone, whereby he tasted something metallic and sharp in his mouth. He fiddled around and produced a staple. It was the same size and dimensions as a staple used to bind paper; it was unfolded and a bit crooked. We sat there stunned. How had a metal staple been imbedded so far into the flesh of a chicken? Now, I understand that meat packing plants are notorious for unsanitary conditions. I also understand when people find thumbs and mouse ears in their chicken nuggets. But nuggies are skin, fat, bones, and beaks, which are crushed and run through a sieve to be poured into a form that resembles a chickeny shape. They are not an actual part of the chicken like a thigh, breast or leg. So where did this staple come from?

From several months, I've been studying the phenomenon of corporate food production and how we Americans have been deceived into believing that the foods on the market shelves are healthy for us. I do know chickens are raised in appalling conditions--thousands of birds that live in a confined space where it is totally dark. They reach maturity in four months instead of six. The breast meat is the most popular part of the bird and they have been modified to grow enormous chicken boobs. Sometimes, their breasts are so big, they fall over from the weight and die where they land because they simply can't get up. It is no wonder there are outbreaks of salmonella and e. coli.

This thigh staple is just another example of how these huge food cartels have duped us, and for me, it's one more staple in the coffin lid when it comes to buying processed foods. I have been going organic and eating whole, clean foods. If we had a farmer's market in my neck of the woods, I would shop there. We don't, so I spend an inordinate amount of time in the grocery store studying labels. Are you confused about what some of these chemicals are that appear on the sides of food cans and boxes? You should be! They're right up there with chicken staples and the slow death of Americans from cancer, diabetes and obesity. I've listed a few just to make your life easier:

Sodium hexametaphosphate: This is a common food additive and can be found in everything from shrimp cocktail to toothpaste. It is considered a 'whitening' agent. It's used in detergents and commonly used in pottery shops to separate out the finest particles of clay.

Potassium Chloride: They make fertilizer from this stuff. It is also used as the third component in lethal injections. Jack Kevorkian used it in assisted suicide to stop the heart.

Hydrolyzed Protein: You'll find this in most processed foods. It's used to enhance flavor, but the chemical breakdown of proteins creates free glutamates that once joined with free sodium, becomes MSG or monosodium glutamate. When added to food this way, American law does not require manufacturers to list MSG as a label ingredient.

MSG: Hidden in packaging labels under such terms as hydrolyzed vegetable proteins, autolyzed yeast, hydrolyzed yeast, yeast extract, soy extracts, and protein isolate. Some people are intensely affected by MSG.

Aspartame: This is a synthetic artificial sweetener that has come under much scrutiny. It can be found in thousands and thousands of processed foods. In some markets, aspartame is manufactured by using a genetically modified variant of e. coli. The FDA claims it does not cause brain damage, but upon ingestion, aspartame unfolds into its natural residual components of aspartic acid, phenylalanine, methanol and formaldehyde. It is routinely hidden on food labels under the guise of 'natural flavorings'. Personally, I don't want formaldehyde in my body until AFTER the undertaker is done with me.

High Fructose Corn Syrup: Simply put, it will make you fat.

I know many folks will argue these facts are incomplete. They will contend the government claims they're safe. That's fine and good. I've heard all the arguments, too, and I'm not writing this to be flamed.

I just want you to know that for me, it's like finding a staple deep inside a chicken thigh--it shouldn't be there.

ARCANE NIGHTS

I keep having a recurring dream. In it, I'm being introduced to a new spirit guide. She's tall, dark and mystical. As I stand there, listening for wisdom, she smiles and moves her hands gracefully. Sparks appear at her fingertips; there are pops and ticks, flashes and a glow. I see nothing and yet, I know she's created something. And then she tells me in a lyrical voice: "Words are magic. Be a magician."

It's been a couple of weeks since I practiced writing magic. I'm rusty and I have a hard time starting. I think, on occasion, I need a wand--perhaps a crooked twig of oak--imbued with word enchantments. Old words, words filled with texture, words of truth and fortune telling. Words that have never been written, words that exist on the cusp of reality. This dream tells me to look into the part of me I avoid because within this graveled and muddied place, I keep a space for my fear. It's a vile landscape, one I tread with trepidation. I'm not a martyr and I know it. That knowledge in itself, inks my courage.

I wonder about taking chances with sentences that are sure to ignite the petulant ardor of the self-righteous. I wonder if I should outsource my words in whispers like some cranky Human Resources worker and segregate them into an unknown country. Perhaps I should I hide behind my magic like an alchemist who secretly searches for the right combination of mercury and lead to create gold. I worry about announcing my thoughts of late.

Maybe as I grow older, I grow more reticent or hopefully, more sagacious in the ways of the universe. I should be staunch with my verbs, brave with my nouns, particular with my adjectives. I think I should feel compelled to write about society, about the inevitable whiplash of government decisions, the anger over terrorism, and the deceit and debauchery of politicians whose hubris knows no bounds. But then I think--do I care? Does anyone care?

A good fantasy writer will tell you that to create magic, the magician must pay a price. Magic--price. Words--magic--price. That's an awful lot to get from a dream. Don't you think?

My latest spun yarn and my latest spun yarn! Enjoy!

RIPS
by
Denise Vitola

As Yan entered the factory floor, she felt the heat still lingering from the now idle sewing
machines. Mother sat alone, hunched over her work, the last one to leave for the day. Yan hated
this sweat shop where the indentured servants of the Jade Emperor toiled, and where, despite the
aching backs and bloody fingers, they were admonished to smile for the privilege of serving the
Heavenly Grandfather.

She stepped farther into the room and could hear Mother grumbling to herself.

“Much too delicate,” she muttered. “It’s going to rip. I don’t need another rent piece.”

Another rend in the priceless fabric meant less money and less rice in the bowl for dinner.

Mother glanced up when she heard Yan’s footsteps. She had that worried expression, the one she
wore often, especially now that her eyesight was failing and her gnarled hands shook. “Child,” she said, rising.
“It’s time for you to learn the art. Sit down at my sewing machine.”

Despair laced through Yan, but she obeyed. How foolish she'd been by thinking she might escape
her fate. Her family labored for the ruler of All Realms of Existence. She was as trapped between
the alpha and omega as every firstborn female at court.

Mother pointed at her and began the lesson that would change her life. “You must be gentle, Yan,
or you can easily tear the fabric of time and space. And let me tell you, it’s hell to stitch it back
together again.”

Perspective. It's a concept with which visual artists are intimate. They consider how a picture is viewed--angle, lighting, color. Writers also deal with perspective. Whose perspective is guiding the story? Is it first person or third person? Most writers are familiar with these writing concepts, but did you realize that perspective comes into play when you're describing something from your mind's eye? The way you see things and translate them for your reader creates mood, setting and time. Study the picture above. What does it suggest to you? Are you inspired to let go a little Steampunk, or Victorian romance, or a futuristic description of post-apocalyptic proportions?

So, here's the challenge: Write a sentence or a paragraph and share it with us in the comments section of this entry. Really study this picture and after you're done writing, click on the image to see the original. Things may surprise you!