New Year's Day 2016
The other day I attended a memorial service for my neighbor of many years ago. She was a remarkable person even reaching 100 years. Another achievement in her favor! She was a brilliant English teacher, studied at Bryn Mawr, danced in the Isadora Duncan school of Dance. A better word is that it was a celebration of her life rather than a memorial.
I have been thinking over the title for my series of images from the trip to Ireland. Though they were inspired by the theology and mythology of 'Thin Places' I was not satisfied with the wording. At my friend's celebration of her life, a section of TS Elliot's poem was read. It was a title I had used years ago I think when I was still a sculptor.
From Burnt Norton, Four Quartets:
At the still point of the turning world. Neither flesh nor fleshless;
Neither from nor towards; at the still point, there the dance is,
But neither arrest nor movement. And do not call it fixity,
Where past and future are gathered. Neither movement from nor towards,
Neither ascent nor decline. Except for the point, the still point,
There could be no dance, and there is only the dance.
I can only say, there we have been: but I cannot say where.
And I cannot say, how long, for that is to place it in time.
So, even in her passing, she had one more influence to instill in me. The title of my new series from Ireland will be called "The Still Point".
