21. you should praise the mutilated world
cosmic noticing, star jasmine, sunday yin, art in the park, smoko memories and a playlist
I know I write a lot about my garden but it makes me so happy. So happy that I starting leaking milk while Raphy reached for parsley from his perch in my arms while I checked how much everything had grown in the days I was away. We’ll have passionfruit and peas soon. Everything grows chaotically but that’s how I like it. I never thinned the seedlings like the packet told me; it seemed too cruel. I like letting everything do its own thing, like the passionfruit vine that’s formed its own porthole up against the window.
I like the way Ross Gay talks about gardening. How he cultivates a practice of observing and delighting at things, often in his garden but not always. And how exalting the things we love can be a form of justice. It brings this Adam Zagajewski line to mind: ‘You should praise the mutilated world.’ Lately, that line is always on my mind.
I’ve been noticing things. Funny to observe the patterns that emerge when you decide to take notice. It doesn’t even take much; attention as practice. Attention as tending.
On Sunday afternoons Julian takes Raphy for a walk while I do yin yoga in front of my laptop. I’ve made a habit of collecting jasmine and putting it in the tiniest vessel I own, which is an old glass inkwell I got from an antique store in Redfern years ago. It was the best shop, filled with flowers and taxidermied animals that looked like they should have been in a museum. A buffalo head, a stag head, a jaguar. Birds of all kinds and colours. Beaks for crushing, beaks for piercing. Tiny finches on needle-like legs. I want to say they had a zebra, even a giraffe, but I don’t know where my imagination blurs into memory. The shop has been gone a few years now.
The jasmine ritual started with the first sprigs of the season, then the last. This past Sunday I picked the first star jasmine, and said to Julian how it’s almost thoughtful of star jasmine to appear just as the first jasmine fades. (Sorry, this is a jasmine newsletter now.)
Julian said he admires how I live in the present and it was the nicest thing to hear. I’m used to thinking of myself as forgetful, distractible, unfocused, ADHD. Present is a lot nicer.
I love being around children for the same reason: their irresistible presence. I miss working with kids lately. I loved walking to the park with my old preschool class, noticing everything on the way. The trees and the flowers and the cracks in the pavement. I loved answering their questions, or trying to. Making up games as we went (pretending to step on their heels to keep them from dawdling, and having them step on my heels in return). Their sweaty little palms against mine. No one notices things like children do.
I promise this wasn’t a deliberate segue but since this is where I’ve ended up: I’m hosting a casual little event soon called Art in the Park, a picnic for children and families. It’s in a couple of weeks, on Saturday, 6th November, in Camperdown. If you’re in Sydney, you’re very welcome to come along, even if you don’t have kids! It’s free, and I’ll bring all the art stuff. Suitable for all ages, even babies (including mine). It’s kind of a big experiment but I got lonely over lockdown and as I said, I miss hanging out with kids. Bring yourselves and something to share (it’s a picnic after all) and I’ll sort the rest. More info on the @amokartspace IG.
The second Dear Shrimp playlist is up now, dedicated to lazy mornings, long shadows and Smoko Memories.
I’ve been listening a lot to Gabi’s fortnightly mix on NTS so head over there if you like anything I like.
The latest Music For Plants mix by Jess Hannah Révész for F. Miller also looks really good. Also obviously where I ripped my own playlist graphics format from lol.
Thanks for reading this far if you’re still here. This week was a chunky one which was fun to put together but holy hell it took forever - I thought I’d be sending it out at 9 this morning. Anyway I blame Raphy. Hope you listen to my playlist while you get ready for your Friday night out ‘cause Melbourne just joined Sydney out of lockdown! Take care out there and go slow, I said yes to heaps of plans and now I’m spewing.
x
shortcut to everything i mentioned above:
✿ adam zagajewski in the atlantic
✿ art in the park by amok art space
✿ smoko memories incense by bau bau
or chat to me on IG: @hannahdebus