It was only yesterday, or seems
like only yesterday when we could
touch and turn and they came
perfectly real into our fictions.
But they moved on with the courtly sun
grazing peacefully beyond the story
horns lowering and lifting and
lowering.
I know this is scarcely credible now
as we cabin ourselves in cold
and the motions of panic
and our cells destroy each other
performing music and extinction
and the great dreams pass on
to the common good.
Phyllis Webb (1980)
Lovely Susan - the art and the words. It's -15 C here this week - global warming, global shmwarming...
ReplyDeleteOkay, let's call it climate change.
I really like the symmetry of the unicorn and the rod that the rider is holding. It says something to me about how that specialness we project onto the rare,extinct or mythical can be very close and seem ordinary to others. Sorry to project all over your beautiful piece.:-)
ReplyDeleteThere is something incredibly iconographic about this painting. The borders surrounding the main image are mesmerizing. Also, angle of the unicorn's horn leads me eyes straight up to its rider that makes me eyes stop. Yet another brilliant work. Thanks for sharing it with us.
ReplyDeletegary - Welcome back to the sphere! You were missed. It's nasty weather here too - the worst Portland has to offer is when it's just cold enough for rain and snow mixtures with freeze in between.
ReplyDeletelbr - The rod is a supported spindle used for spinning yarn - an ancient technique but still in use by some. I based the lady on a dear friend who is both Swedish and a master weaver.
spartacus - This is one of the very old paintings I scanned from a rescued slide. I'm delighted you like it.
it's interesting how you border everything. like you have a special garden to play in.
ReplyDeleteIf I ever had a book, I'd want you to do those fancy plates between chapters.
ReplyDeletesera - Borders in borders - where will they lead?
ReplyDeleterandal - What a nice thought.
That's beautiful, Susan, and I love the poem you paired it with.
ReplyDeletedcup - It's one of the oldest I found a slide of - nearly 30 years (when you were just a pup :-)) It took me a while to find the right poem.
ReplyDeleteYou just brought back a dream I had as a child. I did indeed climb on the back of a lovely white unicorn in a woods.
ReplyDeleteLovely paring of words and painting.
so lovely the painting, the words...I happen over after a few days of not and find two surprises of new painting I have not seen...how wonderful is your work....
ReplyDeleteblessings to you...