Elephants dance of another universe
In the cat universe in heaven, you would expect to see all your long lost pets and I wonder if when we go upstairs we see them as people describe on their exit to the angel realms above. I wonder why the white light and what cats see other than their owners or fellow cat companions on the street, when they go to God. Greek cats and gods are as synonymous with Greece as the wind. Islands not travelled to, spirits long gone and in books. We take the journey, sail with the gods and climb Mt. Olympus with them. Warriors and gods, poets, writers and philosophers and visit Greek Orthodox chapels, reminiscent and in the same style as other Orthodox religions. Then, we are taken back to Italy only close by to Greece, thinking of Orthodox churches, mosaics shimmering in Venice or Ravenna. The odd passer by or cat, wandering undisturbed we walk on by. Dreaming we fall asleep with a cat. Cats take us to the bookshops and in Greece strangely, there are never any postcards or marketing of cats, their very selling pitch. We sail around the Greek islands and expect to find nothing other than cats eating fish. The postcards and calendars have us sailing with images and dreaming of cruises or movies. Films of another universe and bees take us to the philosophy of the cat, purring and food.
Food cats love to consume. Heavenly is the universe of the cat. The universe of the cat includes us all for we provide the food. Walking, cats walking and walking we are cats; they take us to the fish. Fish dinners in Vienna and the sphinxes, in the museums, Eros and gods, you will find very few sculptures of cats, one of the the hardest animals to draw or paint. The honey pot is cat friendly places, internal places or hot they lie on concrete, the grass or outside in the sun. Cats of worship, worship the sun. Birds are another preoccupation, flying, chirping, they are the the constant companion of the cat. Flying overhead or confronting cats, only birds larger than cats will frighten them. The Japanese are peculiarly good at painting and photographing cats but, draw nature and the sea. One skilled pen and ink swill draws a cat image but a master of the craft and figuration takes us sailing to India, Indian Jainism and religion. We are reminded of temples once visited of piercing blue eyes, veiled women and different varieties of Hindu. Animals of another god see elephants. We are thinking, now of the Taj Mahal and ancient architectural lacework, the light filtering through and climb up observatory posts to the stars in our mind or another town, angled stairways like a playground for the gods. Then, go up the mountains of Nepal, to the base camp, short of breath, see endless mountains for eternity and strange peasant children run along beside you asking for bon-bon. Animal gods are everywhere and as prolific as figurative sculpture, dancing an Indian dance. Entwined they are with the cosmos as with one another and speak of a new beginning. Mice rather than cats run around temples filled with rice as an offering and everywhere holy cows, wander. Chickens and goats are more the norm on a bus ride with piles of saffron and temples only for men in isolated places. Delicious curries and beer await you and elephants dance of another universe.
Nicole Page-Smith
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