And Together They Stay
Taylor builds, and it all collapses. A parade of well-intentioned animals comes, ready to rescue. Each of them connecting to Taylor’s anguish. Each of them determined to help. Each of them bringing certainty about what the solution entails, and about what the problem – and Taylor’s experience- actually is.
But Taylor can’t listen to them. He is not moving on; he stays.
The rabbit then comes along. No certainty, no solution or resolution. Just sitting, together.
And together they stay. Unresolved, messy, uncertain. Unhurried.
And yet, movement comes.
Each parading animal’s solution tried out, as it flows, on Taylor’s own time and of Taylor’s own decision.
And then, only then, Taylor is ready to build again.
The Rabbit witnesses that too. It has been the witness all along. It stayed, and through movement, still is.
After The Rabbit Listened by Cori Doerrfeld: Taylor and the rabbit live in her beautiful book; meet them in the original here:
What the Taming Made
Come play with me, said the Little Prince
I’m feeling so sad
I can’t, said the fox
I’m not tamed
Oh, I’m sorry, said the Little Prince
(And then…)
What does taming mean?
Are you looking for hens? asked the fox
No, the Little Prince replied
I’m looking for friends.
What does taming mean?
Something almost forgotten, said the fox
It means: “to create bonds”
To create bonds?
The fox continued; like this:
To me, you are just a boy similar to a hundred thousand boys
To you, I’m just a fox similar to a hundred thousand foxes
You don’t need me. Nor do I need you.
But if you tame me,
We will need each other
I will be unique in the world to you
You will be unique in the world to me
If you tame me,
My life will be filled with sun,
I will know the sound of your steps —
While other steps drive me into hiding,
yours will bring me out, like music
And also…
Do you see those fields of wheat?
I don’t eat bread
Wheat is useless to me
Fields of wheat don’t speak to me
And that is sad
But your hair is the color of gold;
When you tame me,
It will be so wonderful!
Wheat, which is golden,
Will remind me of you
And I will like the sound of wind through the wheat
After Le Petit Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry: Find the original here
Into the Prey’s Eyes
As the story goes, the lion kills by looking
Not by force, not by strength,
Not by claws, nor teeth
The approach is gentle, even
Quiet as well;
(the clouds on his paws kill the noise; as the story goes)
Then a single pounce, bringing the prey to the ground
And looking. Into the prey’s eyes,
Who, looking back
Sees itself in the lion’s eyes:
Not two gazes; a single one.
And in that gaze, the prey is weak
And in that gaze, the prey is small
Never thought about it: big or small,
strong or weak, as the story goes.
And Fear. Fear within the gaze:
Its own.
Weak, small, fearful.
Never thought about it
Now its own. Now believed.
And that’s how the lion kills by looking,
as the story goes.
After a story of Old Antonio, as told by Subcomandante Marcos: original in Spanish here; English translation here
Looking
The one who can’t see outward (blind, they call him)
Can’t see the lion’s eyes
Can’t see the lion’s looking
Can’t see what’s big or small,
strong or weak
Can’t see the fear.
Blind, they call him
But he sees
Outwardly blind
but looking
Forbidden by the gods
and looking
Punished by the gods,
exiled —
and looking
Into his heart
Outwardly blind
Minding the costs
And yet —
Looking
Big or small,
strong or weak
Doesn’t think about it
(the heart can’t be measured this way, as this story goes)
Into his heart
He sees
His own.
After a story of Old Antonio, as told by Subcomandante Marcos: original in Spanish here; English translation here
The other doors: The forest · Brownie’s home · Patterns in motion · The framework are angles on one thing. None is a prerequisite for any other.