I find mass and communion to be a very interesting thing. Not being religious myself, I find myself observing and analyzing with great curiosity when I attend with my wife. There is a certain beauty to the proceedings that is difficult to put into words. Perhaps tanka are ideally suited to the attempt because they allow one to isolate and portray poignant bits and pieces thereof. Years ago I would have considered myself religious, but this was slowly supplanted by an ever-growing and broadening animistic view of my surroundings, life experiences, and the world and universe at large—An animism I have only recently struck a sort of peaceful equilibrium with.