Oh Sweet Mama’s

A poem by Hether Bargeron for Megan…

Naomi and Matt

Scene 1: Noho Bus Station

Naomi turning tricks in the Peter Pan bathroom.
Heather leaves on a bus with her holy rollers to Philly for a “we are all one with jesus camp”.
Del walks by on his way to the Clarion Hotel to speed date in his quest for love love love.
Alisa, a day courier for the Hadley Farmers Polish Mafia, reads a paper on the (?).
Matt is finally running after the bus he missed to Philly.

Enter Meg. Looking Good. Wide pants. Knapsack. Brilliant jewel in her nose.
Every person who has ever been to the cafe fades in as they come out of the parking lot and surround the station. They all have red lipstick and are crying into their handkerchiefs.

Meg-lessness is like leg-lessness
an afair of such seriousness it
can burn brownies from a block away
We noticed as the weeks went by that
Florence smelled of burned chocolate whenever it snowed
Everyone’s tea bags spoke of loss and depravity
no more lights shining out of souls; no more oneness in god.

There were crimes of passion and greed committed by the oven over trivial things
like ginger and cocoa powder
Repeatedly customers were told “can’t you see I only have two hands!”
and then only one (that after a fight in a dark alley)

No matter how much sugar was consumed, the new mama
became wrathlike and her shadow was tripped over.
And no one kept track of the burners.
Everything boiled over day and night for months…

There came a day when change blew in looking like big red lips and a laugh. New Mamma closed her eyes and lo! She channelled the Mama Lama Megan Shackelford. Every day at three the messages arrived. Loud. Laughing. Hashish powdered words of our Supreme Vegan in India.

Small blind dogs on remote farms could see again. The air became fresh - workers were again fired right and left - reformations of gangsta vegans, hooker vegans and even vegan marionettes were rampant.

Little Floho was in the news - lotus blossoms bloomed in every garden and babies were born wearing saris. Bodhi’s tree blew in the wind. It is said they are awaiting their Messiah predicted to appear by summer.

Shirley Temples became the new drink of choice.
Vigils were held - and will be -
until the Mama Lama returns…

India is one of the oldest and most spiritually rich countries in the world, able to accommodate all sorts of religions and gurus, gods and goddesses, kooks and whackos, whatnots and what-have-yas. Still I am not sure if it is ready for the gift it is about to receive from western civilization. India may have seen everything from sheiks to lamas, but I know they have seen nothing like the Oh Sweet Mama!

Today Megan came into Cafe Evolution to say her final good-bye before leaving for her flight out of Boston. It was one of those moments when sadness mixes with happiness to create some kind of strange hybrid emotion that confounds us into tears. I am so incredibly happy for Megan, and proud that she is actually manifesting this dream she has had ever since I have known her. Having never been far from her in the past 13 years, I am also feeling the reality that I am really going to miss the space she fills in my life. 

derek and ila toast megan

After Ila and I got done working Sunday Brunch we went to the Sierra Grille for a drink and to celebrate Megan’s journey. I took this photo on my cell phone and sent it by text to Megan, who should have been at the airport by that point. We talked about the things we like about Megan. Her mixture of strong will and sweet heartedness, her laugh, the way she alters the energy in any room she walks into. We just went on and on for hours if I recall.

All of the friends who I talk to think that this journey will be a great opportunity for Megan to grow as a person. It will certainly be one of the great adventures of her lifetime. She has worked very hard the past few years building her business and blossoming into the amazing woman she is, and so deserves this time to go and find herself, to experience another culture so rich in spiritual tradition.

Speaking for all of us back left behind in Northampton, we love you Megan and our hearts are traveling with you.

pray for me

I’ve got less than a month till d-day and boy am i in a chaotic swirl of vegan chocolate chip cookie batter! I will be joining my friends Matt and Tammi in Dharamasala for the beginning of my 6 month journey.

This is a new web site, please contact me with any bakery related inquiries!