Have you ever really looked at an onion?

Here’s one.

Put it down on the bench, right there in front of you.

Just look at it for a minute.

Remarkable, isn’t it?

So curvaceous.

Round and smooth –

full of promise.

Okay.  Time to slice and dice.

Your knife cleaves in worship.

But what happens next?

Those vapours rise – and your tears obey.

Peel away the layers one by one.

What are you left with?

Nothing.

The promise of substance is a mere illusion.

Like many things in life.

People, for instance.

So many people out there are just like onions, aren’t they?

Smooth and full of promise,

until those vapours hit you.

And here you are, standing innocently in your kitchen

with the harsh truth right before your streaming eyes.

The promise of substance is a mere illusion.

God, I hate illusions,

but I understand why they’re necessary.

We all need something to keep us peeling away the layers

day by day.

Remember, though, my friend –

peel with caution.

Nothing can be trusted

until onions develop cores.