Belly Persian
Art by Norman E. Masters

"I *thought* we were contemplating each other's *navels*."

"Well -- we ARE!"

"That *was*n't my *navel* you were looking at!"

"Ummm... you're right. i was looking a bit lower than your navel... But *you* must've looked away from *mine* to know i wasn't looking at *yours*!"

Now we're contemplating each other's *eyes* -- & there is the light of laughter dancing in them... & looking a bit lower, two big mutual grins!

"Shall we return to the navels, now?"

"Ummm... I have to confess that without my glasses on I can't even clearly *see* your navel! How can I contemplate the deeper Meanings of Birth and Rebirth when your navel's so far away it's fuzzy to my view?"

"Do you want to get your glasses?"

"But what if the glasses, themselves, distort the Image and Essence of what is to be learned from your navel? Usually they're kinda smeared and the rims would only be very distracting to full navel contemplation."

"So -- what are you suggesting?"

"Well -- to get a clear *view* of your navel -- what with my near-sightedness -- I need to get quite a bit *closer* to it!"

"Hmmmm...? Okay... But now your *head's* in the way, blocking my view of *your* navel!"

"That's a real problem. Maybe this lotus position facing each other while seated on the rug, isn't the *best* position for any really deep-*in* contemplative view of each other's navels, afterall. If we just stretch out in opposite directions on the rug, here, laying on our sides, we can *both* get an unobstructed view of each other's navels -- just as close -- or distant -- as we each need to be -- for maximum clarity! Gotta skooch a bit more here. I'm not really *in*to contemplating your big toe! At least not at the moment..."

"Keep skooching! Don't get side-tracked. It's my *navel* you're supposed to be contemplating, remember."

"Ah! Just right. *This* close I can't see anything *but* your navel! Nothing else in the surrounding areas to distract me, now! In the lotus position I just couldn't stop my eyes from drifting lower -- but I don't have that problem anymore."

"I'm glad of *that*. There's a piece of belly button lint in yours. You don't mind if I remove it, do you? It's kind of a distraction to *me*. Don't you ever *clean* your navel?"

"Occasionally -- but not as often as my toenails..."

"I'm going to get you a belly button brush-&-cleaner. I think you *need* one. You know, yours isn't like mine at all! It's actually *like* a button! It's like a button within a button -- almost a wheel with a hub -- and radiating spokes!"

"Gosh! I never realized people's navels were this *different* from each other! Yours just goes in -- in -- in! I can't see an end to it! WOW! I'm getting a glimpse of Infinity, itself, within your navel!"

"Not with your *nose* in it, you're not! Get your nose out of my navel!"

"Sorry. I was so caught-up in that *glimpse*-of-Infinity that I thought I might actually be able to get a *whiff* of Infinity, too!"

"Well, you just sniff somebody *else's* infinity! And get your *tongue* out of my navel!"

"My humble apologies... Being so *close* to Infinity I just couldn't resist trying to get a *taste* of Infinity, too! I'm not trying to be offensive; I've just never *been* this close to Infinity, before!"

"And if you had a fishing line, you'd doubtlessly be trying to *fish* *near*-infinity for something *else,* wouldn't you?"

"I can't deny wondering that if I were to *start* from your navel, whether it wouldn't be possible to attain that taste-of-tastes *beyond* Infinity -- that quintessential taste of Divinity, Herself!"

"If *that's* what you're interested in, I've got some fudge in the kitchen. It isn't divinity; it's chocolate pecan -- but I think that's better than divinity fudge, anyways, don't you?!"

28. August. 1998

Mistfade Mistique
Art by Norman E. Masters