Perspective: A River

Delicate apple blossoms fall gracefully. The aroma fills the atmosphere, mixed with the cooling vapours of the river. Crystal liquescent water tricking downstream, gliding over the natural stone barriers built by nature itself. Vibrant green fields of glistening waxed grass and soft pallid triviums sink in his eyes. The chickadees chirp cheerfully as they flap their wings and glide across the vast vibrant sky. He takes a fragile Mason jar and clutches it in his frail hands. In it lies a lone butterfly, longing for escape from captivity. He peeks through the glass and gazes at its beauty. With great difficulty he proceeds to twist the metal lid clockwise. After what seemed to be an eternity, he slowly separates it from the jar. With one last gaze, he releases the captive butterfly. It gracefully flutters its majestic wings for the first time in years. Approaching his line of sight emanates another butterfly. Both intertwine and fly off into the eternal sunset, where they lie eternally forever. As the man witnesses this, a single tear rolls down his wrinkled cheek. A reminder of what he must do next.
 

Reflection
My choice for this one was difficult due to the fact that I liked all of these pieces. However, I chose this one due to the fact that it contained symbolism and described from all five senses (taste, touch, smell, hearing, sight). The symbolism in this piece is represented by the butterfly, which the father of the bride holds onto for so long. However, he must let it free in order for it to learn how to fly. The butterfly represents his daughter and releasing it represents him giving her away at the wedding. I really wanted to convey the contradiction of the man’s point of views. On one hand he sees sheer beauty in his surrounding landscape, but it is clouded by the fact that he is afraid of what the future holds (for his daughter). I also tried to incorporate alliteration to add some rhythm to the piece.

Voices in the Dark

 A short story that I wrote...enjoy

The aroma of calla lilies, burnt wax and Chanel No˚5 filled the air. The muffled sobs in the distance filled my ears. The foul taste of formaldehyde occupied itself on my tongue. I question why I cannot open my eyes. Why do I only hear, smell and taste what is going on around me? My once youthful body has now rotted away into a frail withered carcass. My brittle joints cracked like a breakfast of scrambled eggs and crispy bacon. I attempt to open my crinkled eyelids again, only to find that the eyeballs that once lay inside them were gone. Liquefied plastic was all that remained. Darkness, nothing but sheer darkness was there around me. My body felt like stone, heavy and cold. I felt the slight tingle on the back of my left hand, grazing against what felt to be wood, hard, grainy and lifeless, all of this accompanied by the feelings of claustrophobia. My cramped paralyzed body lay lifeless in this unknown prison.
“She was such a sad young girl.” A mysterious voice said
“Yes, indeed she was.” Another voice responded
These echoing voices intrigued me. From the tone and pitch, I could tell that both voices were women, old as a matter of fact.
“Hello Ethel dear”
“Oh, hello there Paula!”
Well, my suspicions are confirmed.
“How old was she?” One of the women asked.
“I believe seventeen.” The other unknown voice replied.
“Such a shame.” she bellowed.
At this point, I could tell who was who. Ethel seemed to be kind old lady with a quiet placid voice while I was under the impression that Paula was an old hag, her voice was full of vindictiveness and hatred. In the moment I really only cared about figuring out who this mystery girl was.
“Do you know her name by any chance?” Paula said
“No, I don’t think anybody did.” Ethel responded
“Just another invisible soul, I guess?”
What? What was a shame? Who? Who was the girl they spoke of? Why did nothing seem clear? Mystery is all there appears to be to this story it seems. These questions lingered in my mind for the next few minutes. I desperately continued to eavesdrop in an attempt to gather more information.
“Apparently she was supposed to go off to University next year, to study English.”
“Oh dear!” cried Ethel.
“I know. She had her whole life ahead of her. Too bad she didn’t stay around to see it.”
Why? What happened to her? Tell me!
“How did she go?” Ethel inquired.
“Suicide. Downed a bottle of pills and slit her wrists wide open. A painful way to go if you ask me.” Paula disgracefully uttered.
Nothing but pure astonishment filled my mind. I felt nothing but pure tragedy when those words hit the edge of my ear drums. But at that point, all I wanted to know was who the young girl was.
“I heard that she also drowned herself.” Ethel said.
“Really? Well I guess she really wanted to die then?” Paula sarcastically spat.
“You don’t say?”
It deeply angered me. To hear a girl’s life slandered and treated with such disrespect.  Suddenly, I began to hear another voice. This time it was a man’s voice, garish and very low pitched.
“We are all gathered here on this beautiful spring day to remember this young woman.”
His voice had a true English presence, accompanied with tones of solemnness. His voice trembled as he spoke, and was accompanied by long wailing cries. Not of his, but of other people’s. The cries were so powerful that they drowned out the feeble tweets of the birds residing outside.
“April 27th marked the day that she left us. Her 18th birthday, a day that should have been chock-full with celebration, turned into a tragic moment for all of us.” The man (who I assumed to be the minister) said.
At the same time, another conversation started to take place. I was drawn to it and I couldn’t help but to listen attentively.
“ Look at this moron! He’s reading right off of a script. Anybody could see that.”
“Daniel! Shut up!”
“No, I’m not going to shut up! This whole funeral is a joke!” He snorted.
“Dan—“
“Why would anybody waste all of their time and money for this? I mean, she was a nobody.” Daniel bellowed.
“Daniel please! Just show some respect!”
“Really Justin? She was. I thought so. You thought so. The entire school thought so. Hell, her own family even made her out to be a nobody!”
“That’s not true. I was speaking to them before hand and they were heartbroken. I saw it in their eyes.”
“Well, of course! That’s what they want everyone to believe. They are obviously faking it because if they didn’t, they would be seen as heartless.”
“Okay, now you’re blowing this out of proportion! You’re crazy.” Justin exclaimed
“Me, crazy? I’m not the one who broke down in the middle of the class and killed myself.” Daniel chuckled.
“I think you would have if you were in her position. If you were going through what she was going through.”
“Justin, you never cease to amaze me.” Daniel said.
“How so?” Justin asked
“Well, at first you were the guy who bullied the hell out of this girl. Now here you are sticking up for her? Make up your mind!”
“I have made up my mind. I decided that my initial decision to attack her was wrong. Once I found out about her depression, I realized that she really needed help, someone to be there. All of you sat there and judged from the outside, while not taking the time to see the world from her eyes. To realize the hell she was going through every day of her life. Unfortunately I was too late. I couldn’t do anything to help because by then she had already killed herself—“
“Why do you have to be such a buzz kill?” Daniel yelled
At that point all I heard was an enormous hush from somewhere. I assumed that it was from someone in the audience. After a few moments of awkward silence the conversation resumed.
“I was simply stating the truth. Does that make me a bad person? No matter what we do, it won’t bring her back. So let’s stop with the abusive words and just let the girl rest in peace.”
“Shh! It’s almost done!” Daniel crudely interjected.
I guess he was referring to the ceremony.
“And in conclusion, while she did have a troubled mind, her soul was truly wholesome. Ashley will always be in our hearts. Thank you all for coming.”
It was at that moment when I realized that I was a witness to my own funeral. No words could express how shocked I was. Emotion couldn’t run itself through my mind anymore. I heard nothing but silence, followed by the faint clattering of footsteps in the distance. Suddenly, I felt a rumbling sensation and my body began to roll back and forth. The lurid noise of machinery and the feeling of sickness brought me to realize that I was being buried. Soon to be repressed and forgotten by the world. As I felt the weight of freshly burrowed soil ensconce itself over me, I realized that it was the end.

"ART"

February 5, 2013

ART

A word defined by three single letters

Three individually meaningless letters.

However, when all combined, they yield a word that possesses many meanings.

All forms accepted

Realism, impressionism or surrealism

True beauty reflected through the artists eyes

Creation and creativity captured

All within the confines of the mere surface area of a canvas

Everyone is an artist,

Each day, every moment, of every minute, and every second they exist on this Earth.

An endless creative streak flows within you

Your life is your canvas and the world is your stage

Paint, preform and practice to your very best

The world is waiting for you

ART SPEAKS FROM THE MIND AND PROJECTS FROM THE SOUL

"Who Am I?"

February 5, 2013

Who is the girl, a reclusive apparition?

Her mind overwhelmed by broken butterflies and black dogs.

An overachiever and perfectionist, the aspirant novelist.

The girl that always helps others, but never expects anything in return.

Her life surrounded by misfortune.

A mystery to the world and those around her.

Concealed.

KIA

February 7, 2013

Kindness and quirkiness makes her
Intelligence flows within her
An actively creative mind completes her

Black Billows

Just a piece I wrote for one of my classes...

Black billows surround her once innocent mind. Fueled by fear, feeding off anxieties and spewing out hopelessness and despair out of her very soul. An innermost darkness fills the very being that has the misfortune of being consumed. The world is black and grey, no other colour of the spectrum in sight. Pebbles gradually gather up the mountain until the weight is just too much to bear. Pebble mountain, of triggers and stressors which rapidly transform into Mount Everest of turmoil. Her mind snaps like a brittle twig and the pebbles come tumbling down, crushing her body and soul. Pointy spikes of cold metal pierce into her wrists as pitches of wailing whispers deface her soul. Swift spirits coil around her, slowly squeezing the very life out of her. Virtuous butterflies soon transform into ravenous snakes, filled with toxic acrimony, longing for blood. The aroma of ferrous oxide fills her nostrils as tints of red liquescent (liquid) drip slowly down the lack of flesh still remaining on her. Cold is all she feels, deadness in her very soul.

Metamorphoses Play Review

February 14, 2013

            On February 13, 2013, I saw the play “Metamorphoses”, directed by Mary Zimmerman at the National Arts Centre. In this play, inspired by Ovid a various anthology of classic Greek myths are played out. We witness the transformative power of love, redemption, and forgiveness.

The play starts off with a prologue, which is seen told by three sisters (Fire, Air, and Water) as they spiral around Earth. It is played out as a series of vignettes. Each scene tells the story of specific Greek Gods [esses], which focuses on key traits of humans in nature as well as some of the Seven Deadly Sins.

Greed, in the case of King Midas who is granted a wish from Bacchus in which whatever he touches turns into gold. As a consequence, Midas accidentally turns his beloved daughter into gold.  Lust, in the case of Myrrha and her father King Cinyras in which Myrrha is cursed by Aphrodite with a sexual attraction to her father.  Gluttony in the tale of Erysichthon and Ceres, which tells of Erysichthon, a man who cuts down a sacred tree of the goddess Ceres. In retribution, Ceres demands that the spirit, Hunger to punish Erysichthon with a ravenous appetite, who eventually succumbs to his endless hunger and devours himself. Wrath represents the story of King Ceyx. Despite his wife, Alcyone’s warnings, sets sail on the ocean to visit a far off oracle. However, he is met by Poseidon, the God of the Sea who destroys his ship and causes Ceyx to die. Miraculously, both lovers are reunited and transformed into birds. Lastly, Envy, in the relationship between Phaeton and his father Apollo, the God of Sun where Phaeton goes on a journey to meet his father. Plagued with guilt, Apollo allows Phaeton to "drive" the sun across the sky as recompense for his years of absence from Phaeton’s life. Phaeton eventually lights the world on fire and falls from the sky.

The play highlighted aspects of romance in the case of Pomona and Vertumnus. Pomona refuses to fall in love with any man. Vertumnus, in order to try to make her fall in love with him, disguises himself in a variety of costumes. He doesn't reveal his true identity. After he tells her the story of Myrrha, Pomona tells Vertumnus to take off his ridiculous disguise, and the two fall in love. Or the story of Orpheus, who has just married his bride Eurydice, but tragically dies as s she is bitten by a snake. Hysterical from grief, Orpheus travels to the Underworld to negotiate for the revival of her soul. The God Hades agrees to let Eurydice return with one condition: Eurydice must follow Orpheus from behind, and he cannot look back at her. If he does, she will stay in the Underworld forever. Orpheus agrees but unable to control his love for her, he gazes back, which causes Hermes to pluck her away. This is repeated several times, which represents the memory that Orpheus will have forever of losing the love of his life. Next, the story of Eros and Psyche who f wander in the darkness of loneliness until they blind themselves to personal romantic desires and give in to a deeper love. Psyche becomes a goddess and lives with Eros forever.  Finally, the story in which Zeus and Hermes disguise themselves as beggars on earth in order to know what it is like to be human. After being shunned by every house in the city, they are accepted into the house of Baucis and Philemon, a poor married couple. The couple feed the gods with a great feast, not knowing the identity of the strangers. After the feast, the gods reveal themselves and grant the two a wish. Baucis and Philemon ask to die at the same time to save each other the grief of death. The gods transform their house into a grand palace and the couple into a pair of connected trees.  As a result of how the play was presented at some points it seemed as though it was a play within a play. The play discusses how human bodies change into different forms that express the true nature of the character. In some cases, the human qualities are kept intact, while in other cases they are overcome by natural forces.

With a small group of ten actors, each member of the NAC English Theatre production was able to play multiple roles seamlessly and portray these classic Greek myths influenced by a desire to transform themself through affection. The company uses visual metaphors, movement and daring theatricality to create excellent staging. While I felt each actor and actress did a great job at conveying their character, in my opinion the most powerful actor was Alix Sideris due to her ability to convey true emotion to the audience. Also, she was able to transition between being a character full of innocence to a character of pure insanity with ease. She made it feel as though she was actually like that in real-life. While the aspect of Ryan Allen’s singing provided me with comedic relief, I felt as though it took away from the story in the sense that it didn’t really meld with his seriousness of his character. In addition, I felt as though he should have played his role with more authority as opposed to humour. With that said, I felt as though there was no “weak” actor. Each player was strong, especially given the fact that each played multiple roles, which caused them to have to adopt many personalities in a manner of minutes.

The costumes ranged from classic Grecian togas to modern body suits. This contrast of ancient and new-fangled is prevalent in the tale of Midas, where Midas is shown wearing a business jacket while conversing with a drunk man in a toga and vine leaves in his hair.  While the actors were wearing body suits, it appeared as though once their costumes got damp from the water, they had a difficult time maneuvering around the two-levelled set. Especially up and down the stairs. In the case of Vertumnus, who switches between numerous of costumes, it showcases his desperation for Pomona’s love. This shows that he is a morphing character, who can transform into any disguise.

The set, which was designed by world-renowned Bretta Gereke, provided the perfect ground to establish such a complex play. The play is set in a two giant pools of water, which occupies most of the stage. One of which is located on the lower level in the apron of the stage, and the larger pool which is located on the second level. The depths varied, as the apron pool was very shallow, while the higher pool was cube-shaped and deep. They are utilized as a swimming pool, a basin, the River Styx of the Underworld, and the sea. The use of the pools provided the audience with an unforgettable experience which was a treat for the eyes as well as all of the other senses.  The music which accompanied the play truly reflected the sophistication of the performance, played with aquarions, a set of glass marimbas which let out a soft delicate tune every time they were touched by the player’s nimble fingers. Although at first I felt as though the music would take away from the true integrity of the play, it actually enhanced the overall mood of the play. Finally the lighting, controlled by Leigh Ann Vardy was used to focus in on center of the action as opposed to the entire theatre. I felt as though this worked very effectively in adding a gloomy effect as well as splendour with the use of different colours and shades. The fact that the whole theatre was dark added an element of heaviness to my physical being.

While I did find there was a problem, in terms with the overall ability to see the whole set, it was unique and showcased the mystically of the play. In addition, at times I did get a little bit lost trying to understand which characters were which. Nonetheless, I found it to be an astounding performance.

In conclusion, I found this play to be one of the most impacting and profound plays I have ever seen. It transported me to a place full of mystery and mystically, in which I succumbed to the feeling of claustrophobia and deep relaxation. I would definitely recommend this play to anyone who has a great fascination with Greek Mythology and deep mystery.