Imbolc Valentine Moon
(Arnold Bocklin – War)
This on a drive home from Wayzata, after a wonderful meeting discussing maleness and maleness in our time. Tom suggested we bring images or other art work. Tom chose three black and white photographs: a D-day landing, men working on the high steel with wheel-barrows and silhouetted couple dancing on a brick street. He also chose three Symbolist pieces, two by Caspar Friedrich and one by Munch. (and the Norman Rockwell Boy Scouts) Frank brought a photograph of Standing Bear, a Ponca chief, Michael Collins, a key mover in the fight for Irish independence and a painting of the spirit world by an Ojibwe painter.
Scott had a world tree with people and technology boiling up toward the sky, a wonderful mandala from Tibet done in gold leaf. Stefan brought a Rothko and a Rilke poem about the ancient tower. Bill Schmidt brought a Lonnie portrait of Regina, a selfie he drew some time ago and a new piano piece composed by a friend in Regina’s honor. Warren had a coat of arms made by his sister when she was 14, his paperweight from the glass blowing evening (Bill brought his, too.) and a ceramic piece of old man smoking his pipe, hand clasping his head.
“Liebesfrühling” (Franz von Stuck)
Mark Odegard, Jimmy Johnson and Paul Strickland all contributed through e-mail: Jim’s piece is a little hard to describe but it involved a yak or a Highland steer with a snake above it and some birds. Mark sent a page of journal with drawings of gold panning equipment among other things and a self-portrait. Paul sent a photograph of himself in a mask, himself with his grandson and son, himself and Sarah in Maine and a photograph of his grandfather’s grave.
Tom’s nephew-in-law by marriage once removed and sunny side up, Jordan, a newly minted nurse and a nurse-anesthetist to be, attended as well.
Conveying the conversation would be too difficult for easy summary. We touched on sweet honey in the heart, a strong sword arm. Of spreading our long-winged feathers in widening orbits around the ancient tower. Of man the spiritual being and the man the relational being. Of men to some extent set free from past constraints and expectations. And most of all of the men we are, we Woolly Mammoths, who gather twice each month and see each other, man to man
(Franz von Stuck)
P.S. Forgot to mention the birthday cake. Thanks, guys.
