Echoes in a Kaleidoscope: A Few Thoughts on the Limitations of Words

IMAGE: A radially symmetrical mandala with four feathers at the
periphery with many strange words with radiant light at the center.


"Whoa, Andrei, what's this?" Jules murmured, leaning closer to his phone
screen.

The kaleidoscope pattern was much darker, with fragments resembling
shards of stone or pieces of old bark , and an intense, almost blinding
light at the center. Even the words seemed transformed: more stark, less
encyclopedic and stripped of any calm,

Andrei sighed, a faint frown creasing his brow.

"This is… an ongoing experiment. I was flipping through an ancient
alchemy text, feeling a bit introspective, and I took a photo of some of
old feathers with strange symbols."

"And the text?" Jules asked, pointing at the mirrored script. Phrases
like "sense of pessimism has grown" and "deception in every facade" were
clearly visible, albeit reversed and repeated.

Almost reluctantly, Andrei’s tone dropped, "Those are lines from a poem
by a poet no one remembers anymore. It's about how appearances can be
deceiving, and how sometimes, even in beautiful places like we are.
Moreover, there can be underlying feelings of… well, fatal pessimism.”

Jules was quiet for a moment, studying the image. The bright, almost
aggressive central light seemed to push against the dark, heavy
fragments. Unlike strange tea leaves floating in his cup, this vision
felt contradictory: serenity above, turmoil underneath. It was if light
was trying to break through something old and difficult.

Andrei looked at Jules, then spoke, "The cross feels so solid, so
ancient, and yet the feathers are so delicate, so persistent. Maybe
that’s life: the constant tension, the struggle hidden in plain sight.”

"No, you're right," Jules agreed, nodding slowly. "Art should reflect
all aspects of life, not just the pretty ones."

A flicker of relief softened Andrei’s expression. "Thanks, Jules for
reminding me that sometimes, art can really stick."


=====================================================================================
from _Let the waters be my witness: Messages about our watery world_ by T Newfields
SUMMARY: Reflections on how art can capture the hidden complexities and struggles of life.
KEYWORDS: art, deception, struggle, tension, symbolism

Author: T Newfields [Nitta Hirou / Huáng Yuèwǔ] (b. 1955)
Begun: 2012 in Shizuoka, Japan / Finished: 2025 in Shizuoka, Japan
Creative Commons License: Attribution. {{CC-BY-4.0}} Granted

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