the ambiguous realm

Guardian Spirit of the Waters, Odilon Redon, 1878, charcoal
Art Institute of Chicago

The Smiling Spider, Odilon Redon, 1881, charcoal
Musee du Louvre, Paris

Laura Zindel's wonderful ceramics bring to mind another I associate with the dark beauty of autumn, the mysterious and evocative art of Odilon Redon, pronounced "o dee lawn r'dawn", by the way, 1840-1916.

The following quote is how Redon described his own work, which is how I think we should look at most art forms, including poetry, since the meanings of works are not limited to what their artists intended. A good piece will have an impact on more than one level, and is best enjoyed by simply absorbing the layers, allowing it to inspire, not by solving it, like some kind of mathematical equation. I could go on at length on this subject, but will save it for another day, another post.

Self-Portrait, 1880, Musée d'Orsay

My drawings inspire, 

and are not to be defined. 

They place us, as does music, 

in the ambiguous realm of the undetermined.

Spirit of the Forest, Odilon Redon, 1880, charcoal and chalk
The Woodner Family collection, New York

Smiling Spider, Odilon Redon

The Willies

There is no cure for them,

unlike the heeby-jeebies

or the shakes

which Russian vodka and a hot bath

will smooth out.

The drifties can be licked,

though the vapors often spell trouble.

The whips-and-jangles

go away in time. So do the fantods.

And good company will put the blues

to flight

and do much to relieve the flips,

the quivers and the screamies.

But the willies are another matter.

Anything can give them to you:

electric chairs, raw meat, manta rays,

public restrooms, a footprint,

and every case of the willies is a bad one.

Some say flow with them, ride them out,

but this is useless advice

once you are in their grip.

There is no way to get on top

of the willies. Valium

is ineffective. Hospitals

are not the answer.

Keeping still

and emitting thin, evenly spaced

waves of irony

may help

but don't expect miracles:

the willies are the willies.

Billy Collins

Questions About Angels