Today: A Retrospective

I took my citizenship exam this morning. My parents, my sister and I went there an hour early. I had slept less than six hours, but I was more or less alert, though by now my eyebags were like overripe grapes, dark and ripe.

My sister was cramming on the way, as per usual, while I reread a Trisha Ashley book. My parents didn't have to take it, so they just went for the interview and left early. While waiting for the test to begin, I read poetry, because I didn't have any review materials, and because I needed to ply my mind with beautiful distractions.

Some new poets whose work I liked: Don Welch, Gwendolyn Brooks and Donald Finkel.

Useless to ask what this was
before it crusted. It has the face
of Frost over Auden. But it doesn't
worry. It takes itself in folds.
--from "Bark," Don Welch

The test itself was easy-peasy, and I'm pretty sure I got every question right.

Afterwards, my sister and I went for brunch at Tim Horton's, before I accompanied her to school, reading a bit of Kingsolver's The Lacuna while she revised an essay. She took me to the library to print it out, and I spent too long paging through the journals, longing to be able to browse there to my heart's content.

When we got home--after detours to buy all sorts of edibles--I finished the Ashley book, before baking Food for the Gods, which is basically a date and walnut bar. It's my first time making this and it turned out alright, though not quite that taste I was craving.

And then whiling the night away online, as per usual;