Letter Nine: eyes opening, eyes open, stop motion animations

Hawk, Hawk, Dear Advisors, Dear G’s

The urban park is beautiful with trees and grass. On benches people are talking, reading, and eating lunch. A continuous flow of people pass on foot. And I wonder, Hawk, why do I think of you now? Why do you appear in silence?

Nothing ends
every blade of grass
remembering your sound

—Sonia Sanchez, from “10 haiku (for Max Roach)” [29]

In eyes opening, wax man is awakening to a realization of emptiness illuminated by the different colors. He realizes emptiness does not change the appearance of what one sees or the sound of what one hears, but the awareness connects directly to one’s mind with a different understanding. In Buddhist texts, emptiness is compared to waking up. [30]

In the second animation, eyes open, the wax man recalls his past and the aspirations that accompany them. Before making eyes open, I viewed an Ingmar Bergman film called Wild Strawberries. [31] It tells of a retired professor who relives childhood memories and expresses regret and awareness of his approaching death. He is offered comfort with appearances of a world he long ago desired. The present moment brings him grace.

I wish to express my gratitude to all my advisors and G’s for the encouragement to liberate myself and listen and watch closely to how others speak. My life has become deeper with meaning and understanding.

Love,

Tom