Sunday, November 02, 2008

what cannot be changed must be endured



For almost a year I have been trying to attach some interesting commentary to this photograph.


If I had the writing skill of
Michael Dickson, I would conjure up a tale of bats, corn bread, and the soothing nature of pumpkin-colored paint.


If I had the wit of
Richard Lander, I would create a new SMA gang based on the secret signals of star-crossed lovers.


If I had the charm of
Babs, I would tell you that the experience of colors should be enjoyed for their own sake.


If I had the photographer eye of Billie, I could tell you how I carefully framed what would be an otherwise incomprehensible jumble of shapes.


If I had the exotic taste and intelligence of
Jennifer Rose, I would work in an Chilean dwarf and several political quips.


But I am just simple me -- and nothing like that would come to mind.


For some reason, I kept hearing the nursery rhyme: "And the dish ran away with the spoon." The best I could do was create a short story about Señor broom with his snappy crew cut seeing Señorita mop at the local dance, only to be rebuffed when he asks her to dance.


There is far too much tragedy in that tale. It is just a photograph of a door, a mop, and a broom. And that is good enough for me today.

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

I imagine the mop and the broom looking at the photographer and thinking 'this dude really needs a life'

Steve Cotton said...

Anonymous -- It is much worse than that. Having written the one sentence story synopsis, my overly-active imagination has moved on to an engagement, china patterns, a wedding, infidelity, and a very messy divorce that Señorita mop could not clean up.

Thanks for the chuckle.

Babs said...

You are such a "silver tongued devil" and I DO love the composition. BUT I think what anonymous said above is hysterical.

Anonymous said...

Steve, you are good. I looked at the picture and came up with the scenario you thought I would - a cleaning tryst. Remember in university when you brought a girl back and had a signal that you weren't supposed to be disturbed.

GlorV1 said...

Well the mop could be saying, "I'm just hanging round to dry, until tomorrow or later when la senora whips me around again. The broom is probably just relaxing after a long day of being pounded about and looks like it doesn't want to be bothered. :) Take care.

Steve Cotton said...

Babs -- This is one of those posts that opens itself to self-parody.

Richard -- Why didn't we ever think of broomss. People steal socks on doorknobs, but no one even touched a broom in college.

Gloria -- The broom does look as if he has developed that nonchalant macho cool style that keeps him at the center of attention.

jennifer rose said...

The broom and the mop strike me as insignificant. I'm more interested in what's behind the door. And what's upstairs.

Steve Cotton said...

Jennifer -- Ah, yes. Always the lawyer. The mop and the brrom are mere MacGuffins hiding the Platonic truth -- which is always through the door and up the stairs.

Islagringo said...

Doors, entranceways and windows all make excellent photo material here. Looks like you have already discovered that!

Michael Dickson said...

What´s behind the door is a Chilean dwarf up from Santiago to visit her Mexican dwarf lover.

Bob Mrotek said...

I think you guys have it all wrong. Clearly I hear the broom saying to the mop, "Wow, you have a terrible case of halitosis!".

Steve Cotton said...

Wayne -- Almost every society based on a Mediterranean ulture seems to have perfected the door as art form. Greece has great doors and entryways. One of my favorite artists, Igo Medvdev, has made a career out of painting such objects.

Steve Cotton said...

Michael -- At some point, you and Jennifer need to sit down and co-author a novel. I would market it.

Bob -- Good one.

Anonymous said...

The mop and broom are mere lookouts while a couple of vacuum cleaners inside (the quick-witted of the operation) are in the process of negotiating some kind of quick drug deal. They will, of course, clean up on this.

Regards,

Kim G
Boston, MA

Steve Cotton said...

Kim -- I just knew you could not resist entering this little game. Job well done!