Galen Garwood / “Remember The Night We Rode Our Bikes into the Sky’s Infinite Fires, Invisible Children of Light Rising“ galenograph from Apeiron Series, 2022
Kados and I wish you the very best.
He was just here, by the way, inserting, insinuating, and insisting as only Kados can. The problem with trying to argue with my other self is that it’s utterly pointless. Still, I’ve learned to listen…sometimes.
Spiraling up and out of my quiet breathing, Kados proffered, “I’m delightfully excited, Galen, to be celebrating this year, the 25th year since you fell under the spell of that ‘do-something’ epiphanous muse, telling you to sell everything—home, studio, etching press, art, furniture—relocating to Northern Thailand to do a film about the plight of the Asian Elephant.”
“Excited? Delighted? Remember, it was you, Kados, who suggested I’d inhaled too many paint fumes, that I’d lost my mind, a weird wackadoo pretending I could make a difference.”
“True, Galen, I was a bit harsh. But that’s my job…And did you?”
“Did I what?”
“Make a difference?”
“I can’t be certain, Kados. Maybe. I dunno.”
“Don’t be silly, Galen. Of course you did. We did. The film got made, books got written, poems crafted, paintings got painted, projects polished, the house by the river got built, friendships have endlessly unfolded, and our curiosity seems to be as potent as ever. Besides, even if the only difference made was within, accept that as a gift of primary purpose. So, yeah…let’s go on. What are we doing to celebrate? ”
“A lot, Kados, and I’ll definitely need your nudging. The creation of ELEPHANT HEART symbolically embraces this long Exodus. I’ve been putting together NOSTOS, Voices for the Journey Home, a stunning book of art and poetry by twenty-two collaborative spirits dedicated to watering the world with creative ideations. This ’gift of voices’ will help ignite ELEPHANT HEART.
I’ve begun to set up a special campaign that I’ll launch in a few weeks to help bring this long flight to a meaningful coda.”
“Whoa…wait a minute, Galen. Is this our great Telos? The final act? The ending?”
“No, not at all,” I said, laughing; “besides, Kados, nothing really ends. You taught me that. Everything modulates into a new beginning, and in new beginnings, anything is possible. Even a cow on stilts, wearing a bird’s mask.”
Galen Garwood / “Cow on Stilts with Bird’s Mask,” monotype 1994
Some exciting possibilities coming up next week. Stay tuned.
Blessings from the River,
Thanks, Rick....Yes, that day, 25 years ago, was the letting go day. We follow the journey.
Thanks, Jo, for your good thoughts and delighted you like 'Cow on Stilts with Bird's Mask.'