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Warm Heartedness in an Indifferent World di-ver-g...
Riding the Edge of the Razor Blade
Giving Smiles in Passing mis-for-tune Function: ...
Holding the Rose, Carefully im-i-tate Function: ...
Entering the Frost cold Function: adjective Etym...
Mermaid
A Nervous Boil dis-qui-et Function: transitive v...
The Real Spirit of Christmas
A Heart Ripped Asunder
The Captain Makes His Mark

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Life, viewed sideways. Emotions, amplified. Answers, questioned. Me, between the lines.




- A Wounded Heart, Who Can Bear?
- Drowning Under a Tidal Wave
- Clawing My Way to the Sunlight
- Yes, Santa Claus, There Is a Virginia
- Fugu
- Touching the Spirit
- A Hole in the Universe
- Riding on the Dreams of Others
- Turning Into a Shark
 - A Heart, Ripped Asunder
- Surrendering to the Roller Coaster
- Hunting in the Jade Forest
- Dodging the Shark
- Dancing With Invisible Partners
- The Captain and the Harliquin
- Courting the Devils
- The Captain Makes His Mark
- Mad Dog to the Rescue
- Innocent in the Big City
- Dropping the Ball Briefcase
- Scrambling Brains
- Cheating the Reaper, Again
- What If the Man Behind the Curtain Is No Wizard After All?
- All of Us Have a Soundtrack
- Working With Broken Machines
- Happy Anniversary, Baby
- Standing on Stars
- Running the Film Backwards
- Identity Crisis ("Who am I?")
- Can We Ever Really Admit the Desires of Our Heart?
- Forgiveness is a Rare Thing
- Having Your Heart Caressed By the Creator
- Working With Broken Machines
- A New Leg to Stand On
- The Real Spirit of Christmas
- Chatting With Infinity
- Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder
- We All Have a Great Capacity for Loss
- Brushed Lightly By Might Have Beens
- We See the World Through Our Own Looking Glass
- Every Storm Passes Eventually
- Accidents Can Introduce Destiny Into Our Lives
- Freedom Depends on the Walls Around Us
- Pulling Aside the Velvet Curtain
- Riding the Razor's Edge
- Dying With Strangers
- In Your Face
- Between the Lines
- The Bobcat
- Angel With a Coffeecup
- Innocent in the Big City
- Chains of Gossamer
- Playing With Knives
- Stumbling Through Memories (Ooops)
- Picture This
- Running the Film Backwards
- Playing the Score, Tasting the Music
- Coins and Corals and Carved Coconuts
- My God, I Confess
- Exotic in Thin Air (Part 1, Speechless)
- Exotic in Thin Air (Part 2, Taxi)
- Exotic in Thin Air (Part 3, The Pan American)
- Exotic in Thin Air (Part 4, Guano)
- Exotic in Thin Air (Part 5, The Andes Express)



 
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"From this hour I ordain myself loos'd of limits and imaginary lines, going where I list, my own master total and absolute, Listening to others, considering well what they say, Pausing, searching, receiving, contemplating, Gently, but with undeniable will, divesting myself of the holds that would hold me."

Walt Whitman (1819-92)




"When I look back now over my life and call to mind what I might have had simply for taking and did not take, my heart is like to break."

Akhenaton (d. c.1354 BC)











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Monday, January 12, 2004
 

Diamonds of a Harlequin

pa-thos
Function: noun
Etymology: Greek, suffering, experience, emotion, from paschein (aorist pathein) to experience, suffer; perhaps akin to Lithuanian kesti to suffer
Date: 1591
1 : an element in experience or in artistic representation evoking pity or compassion
2 : an emotion of sympathetic pity
3 : the stock in trade of a Harlequin


I've decided what I want on my tattoo.

Well, it will be a while before I can get it, since I have yet to even get the boss to discuss it with me, but eventually I'll get her to come around.

Anyways, the tattoo will be a representation of the comedia del arte. Which of course begs the question, what the heck is a comedia del arte?

Ah, I was hoping you would ask that.

The comedia del arte was a stage production in Italy in the 16th through 18th century. (Hang on, I promise this won't be boring!) The production spawned stage productions throughout Europe called "Harlequinades." One of the hallmarks of these productions was that the scripts were improvised on the fly. Another was the presence of the character "Arlecchino," later known as Harlequin or Harliquin.



In a Harlequinade, there would usually be a love triangle involving the following characters:

Columbine, who was the very vision of beauty and grace itself. Think of the prettiest, most graceful and vivacious girl you ever saw. That's her.

Pierrot, or Pedrolino, who is a person hopelessly in love with Columbine. Sadly, his love will not be returned. He is portrayed as a clown and a buffoon. In a way, laughing at Pierrot is a cruel pastime, but humans have always enjoyed things like that.

And finally, the capricious and captivating Harliquin, who steals Columbine's heart because he is completely irresistable. Frequently, even though the Harliquin would also love Columbine in return, he would treat those around him, such as his friend Pierrot, heartlessly. As the years passed, this trait in his character pretty much vanished, leaving him as a witty, nimble romantic.

A nimble romantic who gets the girl. What a concept.

So anyways, the tattoo will be Harlequin in the front, and behind him will be Columbine and Pierrot, one on each side.

I figure it'll look cool.

I see a lot of myself in the Harliquin. He may be heartless at times (he can't help it), but he does show deep compassion, particularly in his later incarnations (which is another thing we have in common, come to think of it.) He wants to be the center of attention, and I find myself doing that as well.

His outfit is always diamond patterned, representing his capricious nature.

Hey, I'm bipolar. That's as capricious as it gets.

I also see a lot of myself in Pierrot as well, the sadness, the depth of emotion, the compassion and love given unasked for. Yes, I can see through his eyes as well.

And Columbine... How many times have I seen you, dear lover?

More on this later. For now, enjoy the dance.


Oh, life is a glorious cycle of song,
A medley of extemporanea;
And love is a thing that can never go wrong;
And I am Marie of Roumania.
Dorothy Parker (1893 - 1967), Not So Deep as a Well (1937), "Comment"




Permalink: 1/12/2004 10:28:00 PM |
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