Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Fox 1, Squirrel somewhat less than 1

This pensive fox and his traveling wardrobe are the work, I am told, of Russian illustrator Nalogina Lubov who works under the name The Takiyaje Dolls.  My thanks to Under the Blanket for information and links.

There is no explanation.  Sometimes squirrelly comes over me like beach fog.  Suddenly every imagined twinge is sinister - was THAT here before? - every possible malformation expands beneath probing fingers and I am off and running on adrenalin fueled by the unknown.  Which creates a problem, since all that is is mostly unknown.  I don't consider these episodes magical, more like Robert Mitchum arriving in town fresh out of prison to stalk and terrorize Gregory Peck and family in (the original) CAPE FEAR.  The mind as tormentor of self.  I'm sure there are clinical names for this, pathological descriptions.  It seems to be part of the human condition and its arrival cannot be foretold.  The extent to which we let the squirrels run the show (and no offense to squirrels, who are blameless) determines where we stand in the big field.  Are we fairly close in to where people are gathered, participating and keeping the threads together or are we out of shouting range, barely able to distinguish and probably misinterpreting arm signals in the dwindling light?

So - that happens.  I am not entirely clear about whether what lightens our hearts, soothes our jitters and quiets our doubts is the product of events best described as "in spite of" or "because of" for it feels like a combination of the two.  In my mind the game of Old Maid had a tightrope walking character, which is probably faulty memory.   Like MAN ON WIRE , she navigated the empty space between tangible points.

In spite of suffering, loss, fear, bad news, in spite of everything, there are handmade foxes in white undershorts, the existence of which can sweep away the ashes.  And because our separate and collective ineffability joins us like Legos, we rise and for a moment or longer know only that we are the gift we bring.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...



I think that is the job outline for my studio assistants - one of which is propped up by my bed here as type.. to be cute in his little hand knitted jump suit.
That's all.
thank goodness for foxes with white underpants and a huge warrobe.

Marylinn Kelly said...

Denise - The studio assistants - how do I forget about them? Oh, that's right, because they are usually out frolicking, beyond the sound of my voice. Yours sounds like his work ethic is a bit more of a priority. Still, they are decorative and fun. Thank goodness indeed. xo

Sultan said...

Nice. I remember being a small boy and the reading the book that the movie Cape Fear was based on (John D. MacDonald wrote it) and thinking how dread can really take over your whole world sometimes.

Marylinn Kelly said...

Laoch - That's what I remember, the menace, the dread. I don't know about you but I can work myself into a state over almost nothing, depending on which way the wind is blowing.

beth coyote said...

Sounds like anxiety to me-at least that's what I call my 'squirrels'. I lose everything, health, house, pets, loved ones and I'm living in a box downtown. With my hand out.

Sheesh.

Marylinn Kelly said...

Beth - Those are the perps, mostly out of nowhere. A friend used to call it "awfulizing." Sheesh, for sure. xo