DONE – FIXED. So, I couldn’t post the little felt disk photo that I took with my phone a little while ago right from flickr, which is what I wanted to do — Instead, here is a picture of a tray from the basement, which I shot a few days ago.
Our basement is currently riddled with mice, and my general tolerance for the critters has been worn away. This winter has been characterized by finding their nests and food stores in so many of my fabric bins, that even I am a little grossed out (we have been killing three-four-five a week with traps). At least the dog food now lives in a mouse-proof bin, so that they aren’t busy transporting those nuggets into little caches all over my studio.
Even WITH my tolerance at an all time low, I see this dead baby and wince. What killed it, I wonder? How can I throw it out? Even as it begins to stink, I can’t bring myself to dispose of the tiny body, curled into death… so vulnerable, so small!
There’s something very deeply moving about that picture of the little mouse lying dead among all the other things in the tray, Dee. Something quite profound that I can’t quite find words for.
for me, it is the creature’s vulnerability. looking again today, I also wonder about the collector’s (my) vulnerability…. we save all these little things that have value to us for some reason or other, and death will come to us, too.
Yes, I think that’s it, partly. The rest of its resonance goes too deep for words, something bigger and more than language can describe. It’s beautiful too, in its own way.