The Precious Chylde Letters
These letters were written for a collaboration with Shary Boyle entitled Perfect Nature World.
My Darling Little Child,
Contrary to what people will tell you, there isn't "nothing wrong with appreciating a beautiful woman." Every time a woman is appreciated for her physical manifestation, an animal loses its ability to speak. Ever since the beginning of humanity this has been happening to the animals, according to their size. It started with the tiniest mammals--the voles and moles and so forth--and it's the reason why only the whales can speak now. It has to do with our Global Economy of Innocence. The second a little girl like you is understood to be beautiful, her innocence is lost, irrevocably lost, and there's a surplus. That surplus has to be taken up somehow, so it is re-routed through the administrative codes of the universe to an animal. When the animal loses its linguistic capacity, it reenters the State of Unbounded Grace.
This has been no loss for the animal kingdom of course. They're freer now, to bunker down, line their nests with fluff, eat grubs, to mate. It's humanity that's suffered, the girls and boys alike. We're
barely limping on, without the things the foxes said, or platypi; the donkeys, or the dogs. So don't believe then when they say "there's nothing wrong with appreciating a beautiful woman". And they will say it. But they're Ignorant. They're Wrong.
Eternally Loving You,
Your Devoted Mother and Dad.
Dear Bongo,
Something bad is happening. I think I may have a bad disease. You see! This is the disease, here! I want to be clear, to be specific about my problems, but I can not be clear. I can no longer remember the words.
I am looking back overward my notebooks and I find this letter started from too years ago. I wrote:
"Dear Bongo,
The meadow is astonishing today. The larks have returned
for the moment and the wild irises are in full, fine bloom.
We've had a bit of rain and it has left its legacy of verdure.
Things with Snowey leave a bit to be desired but what else
is new in paradise? The children are well, delighted that it's
summer and that they can be outside the warren most of
the time. I am grateful, as always, for our correspondence,
Bongo. I fear that without it the isolation here would be too
much for me..."
I think my words were like my fur and hide and now with words flying away I am just raw and wet. My gizzard is out but should be in. With the words I knew the edge of my self. Now I feel squishy. I feel shame.
Snowey doesn't notice. He is stupid like always. Yester, Snowey told me the kits were playing around the "bird". I said "What are you talking about, Snowey?' He said "Around the foot of the bird! Where they always play! The white one!" He was talking about the stand of birch trees close to the house. He meant "tree", but said "bird". Snowey is stupid and now I am stupid too.
I am scared. Love,
BeeBee.
Dear BeeBee,
Yes, I know. Me too, but this is O.K.. At first, I was alarm. I felt squishy, I felt shame. Then one time I forgot that word "shame”. I looked and looked for the word. I knew I had something to worry but I could not remember the word and so also then I could not remember the feeling! Now my word-skin is falling and I feel myself flying apart one million directions one million parts but they are not parts because something needs a name to be a part so I am just flying I am just I am just I am.
In the Air with you now Flying.
Love, Bongo.
P.S. this is O.K.