this, the stripes across the ruptured sky that look like scars on the belly of a whore. this, the broken man stumbling down the middle of the road garbed in a torn and flapping yellow raincoat. this, the dog who someone wrapped in a pink blanket- fastened it's snout with black tape and left in a quiet place on the side of the road. all these things...ignominious and pale.
3 Comments:
I think there is more here than just the remains of a dog. Could it be... could it be...
If it's snout was covered in tape, that suggests it was killed by someone fairly twisted - someone who wanted to stop the poor animal from barking. Animals do what they do because they simply must. We choose. It is in some of our choices we discover what evil could be.
I disagree about throwing it away. Of course, I do not like it. It is ugly. But it is real and, therefore, I do like it.
Art and creativity of any kind should not only explore the beautiful and the light. As a poet, I know this and I imagine it is a belief shared by most artists beyond those of a sentimental bent that we are not given our gifts and driving urges to create only images and words which will lift others up and make them smile. It is the job of the artist to not only entertain but also criticise, attack, lampoon, scream and generally get on everyone's nerves as well as be the toast of the media ball. Art can make you cry with joy or vomit.
We, like everyone, can be and should be everything; we should express and represent and arouse all emotions in our creative endeavours and in so doing ensure our eyes do not turn away from the things which might pain us. There's a world of difference between condoning pain or cruelty and showing it to the world.
And then there is death. It is real. We will all experience it. We all know people who and animals which have and are now gone, perhaps elsewhere. Our Western culture seeks to run away from death, keeping it at bay with a nip here and a tuck there. Death is offensive. Well, it's not offensive to me. The photo is upsetting, not offensive. It is sad. I don't like to see a dead animal. However, if I was unwilling to face that level of reality I'd never go into my own back garden. Have you ever seen how voraciously a ladybird will devour those little green aphids on a rosebud? I'm a vegetarian but I also like to think I'm a pragmatist.
well said my dear andy. everything there is simply part of a circle and i will never refuse to stop seeing, accepting, even lying down with evil since it's simply the flip side of the start where goodness, light and hope reign true.
Post a Comment
<< Home