by S. Ray, photos by Shannon Driscoll

It is unlikely that you will find an aleph in your life. Said to be a point that contains all points, a crystal ball of sorts, similar to the thing the cat wears around his neck in Men in Black, I have never seen one. For a better description, become a Kabbalist or simply read The Aleph, a short story by JL Borges. I feel like it’s possible that I heard one at Emerald Falls with Ben Wilson once upon a time, in the dark, on a wet cliff in the rain. It sounded like several women’s voices trying not to be heard. Then again, we could have heard anything.


If I were to see one, I’d expect not to expect it. I might be peeking through my window to watch the alley and be taken off guard by a bright light, if that’s how one looks. Walking outside, I would still not believe it until I got close enough to touch it. But that seems dangerous with abstract objects. Touching them? If you touch them, can their nature rub off on you? If I were to become abstract, I don’t know how I could look in the mirror in the morning.

The most likely time may be when your guard is lowest and your willingness to believe is highest, that moment between sleep and awake. So take a nap and consider yourself hard at work. Don’t even think about it, just sleep.

If indeed an aleph is present when you wake up, one look at it should tell you how to proceed. Perhaps it will be best to just note that you have seen it and continue about your waking. That should depend on whether or not it is moving. If it stays close to the surface of the earth, I’d follow it. If it goes underground or into the sky, just watch. If it stays in one place, please call so I may come have a look.