Arthaus: Myths

 Arthaus: Day Twelve

Once upon a time, there lived a little girl with her father, on the edge of a deep, dark forest. One day, she gets up, leaves her hut behind, and enters the forest. Soon, she becomes lost. Then, she chances upon a clearing, an empty space. In it, she sees a creature.

Juan: The departure for me is where the girl is alone in her house at the edge of the forest. Something must have driven her out of the house into the forest.
Nimue: Boredom perhaps? Maybe her father isn't in there. The sun is setting as she gets closer to the forest.
Alexi: And how she enters the new space, the dark forest
Alon: When she realizes that she is lost
Bianca: Because she's familiar at first, and then bit by bit, she loses recognition of the spaces around her. Everything looks the same -
Lisa: And then finds herself at the clearing. Is it a space that is familiar? Because she's lived there a while? Does it make her more desperate?
Andrew: And then there is the animal. Does it make her feel better about her predicament? Does it take her away for a moment?

Perfect, it's perfect. It's simply perfect. It's enough, and that's perfect. Now choose a mask, and find a point of departure. Live each moment of this journey.

I sat up a little boy. It was a rambleshack hut, filled with worn furniture and things that I've played enough with. The roof was leaking again, and I looked at it. *drip* *drip* I held my hand out into the water trajectory, collecting water in my hand out of boredom. When my hand started filling, I thought about drinking it, then shook it off, deciding better. I stood up and made my way to the window. The sun is coming down now. There's still a ways off until sunset happens, but father should've been back hours ago. I looked out into the fields and sighed. I should get some sun. Father would understand. I opened the door and tentatively stepped down the porch stairs. The sun's glare was softened by the clouds, and the greenness of the surroundings made me want to expand. And so I did. When I was done absorbing the outside, I knew there was no turning back. I sped away into the fields. The grass was hip high, and yielded gently to my insistent caress. I started jogging, and then running, and then slowing down as I noticed the looming forest next to me. I was close to the boundary. Very close. Uncomfortably close. I closed the distance, and as I stood at the precipice, I looked back, before staring up at the mountainous dark green before me.

And I looked back again. And again.

And then I entered.

The sunlight filtered through the canopy and I could see familiar shadows. I'd been here before, playing with shadows just at the edge. Some leaves had heart shaped shadows between them, and others allowed sun through in the form of a dog. Now and then I could make out almost-alphabets. Soon, the shadows began to lengthen, the canopy getting thicker, and the sun beginning to dip lower. And then as the last of the sunlight faded away, I looked back, and realized I couldn't see the path anymore. Panic rose and choked in my chest. I reasoned all I had to do was to backtrack. And backtrack I did, to no avail. Where am I? I was just here. Or there. Was it that tree? Something went harumphing past me. It trailed the edge of the darkness seeping in. Was it a prey? A predator? Another shadow flit by. Panic was in my throat, but I was unable to scream. Was it the mask? Was the boy dumb? Another shadow sped at me. I dodged blindly. Zigzag patterns, that ought to do the trick. I dodged from tree to tree, finding warmth in the bark that still contained traces of sunlight. I couldn't contain myself, I broke into a full-out panic flight. I was making sounds, so no use masking them, all I had at my disposable was speed. Speed and z-movements.

The clearing burst onto me before I realized it. And I stood there, panting, glad to to see the last of the red sunrays in the sky. And there, right before me, was a deer behind a pool of water. Also, right before me, was Alon, reflecting his animal. Thus began a train of me reflecting Alon, reflecting his animal, which oddly, was kind of like a watery deer. Somewhere along the way, I broke the trance, and offered my hand to the deer. Oddly enough, it wasn't scared. I ended the piece hugging my deer.

Juan and Bianca were hugging on a heap behind me.

There was relief in the air. I know most of my group mates met good animals.

The other group had scarier animals.

Pick a moment, and amplify it.

I looked up at the tall looming forest ahead of me. And looked back. Is there someone? Anyone? Father? Friend? I increased the pace of looking. And then brought the breath. What was I feeling?

Can someone come with me so I don't feel alone? I was not fearful; I mean, a little, but predominantly excited. Something about a 5' 11 guy that makes others cross the street when he wears leather jacket and sunglasses. On a rainy day. I was going in, of that I was sure. But I wanted someone to go with! I don't want to be alone! I just want someone to give me a sign to go into the unknown!! Am I still looking for permission??? I'm looking for a companion. A companion to have fun with me in the unknown. To be lost with.

And... release.

Ariel will later say that a good actor learns to die before he learns to act. To live in the moment, fully, as an actor, live every minute of the now time (as Thomas calls it) - the moment flies by, even before it's begun, and then it's gone. The moment dies so quickly. And then we have to let it go. We live the moment, and then it's gone. The story flew by, but yet I remembered every second of it. I lived it, and now I live with the memory of it.

This now time is precious. As is the soft focus and a soft jaw. And the mask. Let's not forget the neutral mask.

Philip gave us a soundbath, and that brought me back into my favorite state of weaving in and out of consciousness. There I am, on the border of sanity and insanity, gently exploring my understanding of the new layer of consciousness, snoring slightly, half naked. I wonder if I can find soundbaths in Berlin this weekend?

Published on

7/30/19 9:24 PM