looks like it's never stopped
It’s a sprawling Valley bungalow
with deep porches which appear
to have been screened and draped
by a giant spider or some kind of
....conceptual artist.
-Told you I was a weaver,
what do you think?
-I don’t know! what is that?
-Lots of things, lots of stuff.
Cotton bolls I scavenged from what
gets left on the ground by the machines
at industrial farms. Scraps of marine
fishing nets. Rotting clothesline. Rags.
Anything made from fibers that I can
tease apart and reuse.
-Ok, I don’t mean to be rude
or ignorant but what is it for?
-Just something I like to do.
Art, I guess? Do you like it?
-Well, actually……..yeah.
It’s kind of different,
kinda spooky. More that I look
at it, the more I like it.
-That’s good. Wait’ll you
see what’s inside.
The porch has furniture
made with the same aesthetic
as the webs enveloping the exterior,
improvised metal frames like reimagined
mid-20th Century butterfly chairs.
With multi-fibered, rags, cords,
and fabric scraps, instead of canvas
for the seats. Several hammocks
in the same fashion. A hanging
chair in the form of an African
weaver bird nest.
-Yes, you are a weaver!
My God! This is amazing.
-Thank you. Let’s go inside,
it’s cooler.
It is much cooler inside the house. Dim.
Shanice leaves her shoes at threshold.
Mack does the same. The hardwood
floors are smooth and cool on their feet.
-Feels nice doesn’t it?
-Yeah.
-Thirsty? I have water, sun tea,
or would you like something stronger?
Have you had any of the Harmony Spirits yet?
-Yes, I have. Really interesting,
but water sounds good to me.
-Me too. Come on in, takes a moment
for your eyes to adjust to the light,
but I like to keep it like this. Be right
back. I’ll get the water.
One side of the room has a large
carpet, patterned in the antique
style of Central Asia or Persia.
The other side has bins overflowing
with various fabrics, fibers, chicken wire.
Long slender willow branches. Rags.
Coils of rope, wire, tangles of heavy
nylon fishing line dangle from
hooks attached to the wall.
A loom stands facing the curtained
front window.
Shanice returns with the water.
-That’s where I do my small stuff,
There’s a skylight and I can open the curtains.
The light's really nice in the morning.
Are you a morning person? Or afternoon?
-I like the morning, especially now that
the world is this hot. Sometimes I get up
hours before dawn. It’s the quietest time
and I like that.
-Yes! I like that too. I like to go out
back before the sun comes up.
Look at the stars. Naked.
C’mon I want to show you
the rest of my place.
They go through an arched doorway
into an even dimmer room. At the far
side, is a oval frame about two feet
above the floor covered with a tight
mesh of multi-colored strands.
-It’s a bed try it.
Mack sits on the edge and bounces
lightly. -It’s kind of like a trampoline.
-Yeah, it has some action. Go ahead.
Mack rolls onto the center,
tries a bounce or two. Says,
-Not really for big stunts is it? More
like a really comfortable hammock.
-That depends on what you mean by stunts.
I could show you some. Wanna fool around?
Like right now...?
-Said the spider to the fly…..
-Yes, I’m a widow and a web spinner
but I promise not to bite your head off.
-I see. Yeah, show me some of your tricks.
I’ll show you some of mine.
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