The seagull is standing on the roof, in the rain, as if nothing has happened. It is as if it's not raining at all; the seagull is just standing there, as still as ever. Or else the seagull is a great philosopher, too great to take offense. There it stands. On the roof. It's raining. It's as if that seagull standing there is thinking, I know, I know, it's raining; but there's not much I can do about that. Or: Yes, it's raining, but what importance does that have? Or maybe something like this: By now I've accustomed myself to rain: it doesn't make much of a difference.... Sometimes, the seagulls take flight all together to rise slowly into the air. When they do, their fluttering wings sound like rainfall.
From Seagull in the Rain, an essay by Orhan Pamuk included in his new book, Other Colours.
3 comments:
Wonderful thoughtful quote, Jean, it seems to remind us of mindfulness and acceptance of what is. Your lovely ephemeral image reminds me of an installation an artist friend of mine did many years ago - a group of hanging bird-like paper shapes, drifiting in a draft of air. Thank you.
What a lovely pairing of the quote with the image! I love your photos, by the way!
Maria
wow! the most influential teacher of my life once pointed out a seagull on a roof in the dark almost raining afternoon outside our A level English classroom, to illustrate the meaning of the word 'quiddity'
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