Strangely, one day early last week I decided to cover our living room window with a cheerful message for passerby's. I engaged our youngest teen to help me fashion big letters to say BE KIND. Why? you might ask. Because a pandemic without compassion is such a horrifying thought.
Surrounding the letters are paper hearts of many sizes as well as origami butterfly's large and small. I created these in the style of Creativity Project's Origami Butterfly Cocoon tent installed as part of our fourth incarnation during Charlottetown's beloved outdoor art festival Art in the Open 2014.
Clearly, folding origami settles something within me. Perhaps it's the precision or the unfolding of loveliness which occurs from carefully folding the pretty squares of paper. I am not sure exactly what it is that appeals to me. Likely it is that I almost forget myself and any cares weighing me down. Admittedly my paper folding repertoire is small. Yesterday I learned how to fold easy tulips and now there are many tulips lining my south facing dining room window. In some ways I think I am perpetually ten years old. In other ways, not.
Here is a little tongue-in-cheek tanka poem I wrote exploring my longing for folding paper during this prolonged hand washing, human health crisis.
Longing for Origami
I want to press you
with youthful fingertips--sigh--
my hands are paper
now, folding in on themselves
like cranes on dry river's shore.
When I was looking through the craft paper I came upon a page which was printed with these phrases on it:
the touch of your finger and the feel of your heart beating...
always remember you have within you the strength...
The first one, such a sensual message during this oddly parched and sad spring and the second, so poignant and filled with as much meaning as you wish to ascribe to it.
Take good care,
Jill
Just so lovely 💗🦋🌷💓🌎💫