Putting in the Pieces: Commentary on Quaker Business Meetings

The meeting moved forward
slowly. The borders had been
established, and now different
ones were adding pieces,
filling in the middle of
this large puzzle.
An underwater scene was
emerging, an ocean that pulsed
with kelp, corral, fish, bubbles
and more light than was logical.
But large holes remained.
As I sat, one gnarly puzzle piece
swam through my brain, lodged
just behind my eyes. I couldn’t
make sense of it at first, but all
at once I recognized a small
orange pair of fish lips.
“You’ve got to be kidding,”
I said to Spirit.
“Nope,” she replied.
“But I can’t offer this. It’s silly.”
“Yes, Nancy, you can.” I felt
rather than saw her smile.
“Besides, if you don’t put in
your piece, just think of that fish,
forever doomed to live
without its lips.”
My giggle broke the surface
of the silence. When the quiet
again settled in, I stood up.