From a swaying palm on the outer key
fell a coconut rolling to your feet
with a crooked stem and a shell of green.

The temple down the coast a-lights.
The moon reveals the Apollonian night.
A voice says, “Break it, see what’s inside.”

You smash the shell on the trunk of the tree,
cracking open what could not be foreseen:
a hidden place with no boundary.

You must leave the shell, your body behind.
It’s all a part of the sacrifice:
to truly live means to truly die.

You drink the milk and close your eyes.

(See more Everlastin’ Spoof writings at http://www.everlastinspoof.com)