What is your approach to ageing? Are you desperately keeping the grey hairs and aches at bay or are you anticipating the embrace of a slower paced life, possibly in retirement, or faster paced life completing the bucket list. This brief look at ageing in Like a Mule Bringing Ice Cream to the Sun nudges at these questions.
This week’s discussion essay by visual artist Richard Nattoo dives deep into the shadows to resurface as whole—tapping into the dark and light, honouring all energies for an authentic rendering on the literal and figurative canvases with which we work. His image—An extract from Teeth Grid I—draws you visually into this conversation.
Dem seh life is a movie, so mi play the character.
Mi nuh alright, mi is just a really good actor.
Mi a follow the script and a look forward to the end.
Cause to be honest, mi a get tired fi a pretend.
Yea, mi can mek a very heavy load look real light.
Daily, mi smile and laugh loud like mi neva did a cry ina the night.
If only you did know all a wah mi go through and still a go through ina life.
You would a sorry fi me.
All a the hurt, all a the pain, all a words dem wah slice mi like a knife.
You woulda cry wid me.
Mi woulda talk to somebody and unburden mi thoughts but mi nuh have the money.
But maybe if mi get did the chance, in the end, my therapist woulda likely need therapy.
Everyday mi adjust mi mask and use duck tape pan the cracks,
And take mi time and take the knife dem one, one out a mi back.
If only somebody coulda look closely and see the mismatched pieces coming apart.
Mhmm, them woulda probably see it and call it mosaic art.
So another day, another act,
And the facade remains intact.
Mi glimpse the script fi get some quick direction,
Lights, camera, action.
Masterfully narrated by the acclaimed, award-winning actress Bahni Turpin, A Duke, The Lady, and a Baby by Vanessa Riley, is an engrossing, evocative, and highly original historical romance that is especially moving as an audiobook.
"Mama Ocean" explores the relationship between a teenage mother and her son, Ocean, her trauma & postpartum depression. The poem thematically conveys elements of familial abandonment, teenage motherhood, depression, sexual assault - and birth as a result. The piece traverses her psyche, travelling from the beginning of innocence to the loss through metaphoric and allegoric language.
