Monday, June 29, 2015

Questions at the Charnel Ground

Why do we scold Jesse for killing a baby bluebird but give him a nice chin scratching when he deposits on our front porch the body of a fat mole?  Why is it gross to watch flies land on the mole's carcass and begin to lay their disgusting eggs while I'm drawing it but beautiful to contemplate the precise architecture of a seed pod that allows new life to begin?  Why is the iridescent green of the flies' bodies creepy while the iridescent pink of the nigella seed case reminds me of delicately painted porcelain?  Why do I delight in the design of the nigella pod with its thin membranes and perfect seed release mechanism yet shudder at the mole's over-sized baseball-glove-like front paws and tapered snout?

No comments:

Post a Comment