Mariel's Art and Sketches: gold ink

In artist, folktake

Golden Spinsters

The spiders scamper, hover, and spin endlessly until the gold becomes the finest silk.

It is rather ticklish how their sharp pointy legs prick on my skin as they go about their work.

Nothing to complain for I always have the highest quality garments embroidered with spider silk.

How fine, how beautiful!

There's not much to compare against these golden threads. Smooth, velvety, oh so vividly bright in every angle.

The envy of the court, they all call me.

'Oh how you glisten, lady! How refined and elevated you look above us!' they all proclaimed.

Oh, what's that? You wish to have them make you a garment?

No sir, no lady.

These eight-legged masters only create for those they deem worthy -- oh, me?

Hah! It took me centuries to gain their trust. And for one immortal such as I, that is a rather embarrassing feat.

Still if you wish to push on with your wish then I shall say this.

Upon the light of the blue moon, gather about you roses of the reddest color, as bloody crimson as you could find.

Mind you to find the petals soft, too.

On your hands place a piece of gold and a bead of pearl, and a monarch butterfly of the purest white.

Gifts of honor, of gratitude, and as these spiders procure such delicate crafts they must be rewarded with the rarest meal that one can find in exchange for their laborious work!

Their master would be very much pleased -- she is the largest of them all so do be sure to give her the biggest piece of the flutterer.

Upon the stroke of three in the morning, a deathly silence will arrive.

It is deafening, but you must wait.

After all, these spiders take too much time and patience to create such finery.

And lastly, from your lips utter your word of thanks.

But pray care to pronounce the greatest of gratitudes, for as humble as these creatures appear to be, they are as fickle as you and I.

Hurt not their pride and you shall gain the finest garment of gold as you could ever imagine.

My, you could even have hundreds of dresses and coats made nothing but golden spider silk!

Splendid accoutrements, are they not!

What if you fail, you ask?

Well, my friends. That is for mortals to find out.

My immortal soul is bound to their work for all the failures I've had. A price, I suppose, that I was willing to pay.

Who can say what happens to mortals if they do not please the golden spinsters?
Die?

Let me tell you this -- no mortal has ever lived to tell me otherwise.

0Comments

, by Mariel

In bird, filipino artist

"May the wings of an eagle make your heart soar high above the clouds, so that your eyes may see the vast beauty and wonder that is in this world. May the vines grasp your soul closer to the soil so that you may feel what it's like to live among others in harmony and that one can thrive even in the most obscure places. And may the flowers that the hummingbirds flock to give you the lightest sweet scent that will remind you just how beautiful it is to be alive. I pray that you will remember me, dear, just as much as I remember you, always."

Mother Earth, the spirit of our world, beckons us to immerse ourselves in nature. There is more to understand and love in our world that we seem to have forgotten. There are many lessons to be learned even from the tiniest leaf. I hope we are thinking of this Earth and just how beautiful it is. We must do our best to give back for the resources we take, even in the littlest way. Earth Day should always be celebrated.

I have always loved nature. How could I not? It's always there to inspire me, to nourish me, to challenge me. Living in the small bungalow that our house once was during my childhood, I've always loved the way the breeze would graze my skin, whether it be a hot summer gale or a gentle breeze during September. I loved watching the birds in the trees and in the yard as they pick up bits of rice that I left intentionally just to see them up close; I like the way they build their nest and their tweets too. I like the moss that covered the garden pots, the smell of grass being trimmed, the taste of dew from the flowers (yes, I'm that kind of girl who tried to taste the nectar from the santan flowers before making flower crowns), and the way the sun cast our clones on the wall as we tried to dance like cartoons in a theater.

I like the crickets at night, the cold sharp scent that enters my nose each time I went out for a look at the stars. And speaking of stars, I love the way that they stayed where they are as I walked at night with my family after dinner, the way they shimmered like a morse code kind of curiosity in the sky. I will always remember kneeling down the road and looking at this really beautiful bright star and wished for something that my heart has always yearned for. I'm not telling though, my younger self would throw a fit, nor the wish I asked for when I was twenty three as the first traveling star showed itself to me at four or five in the morning in the upstairs garden, nor the secret message I gave the silver firefly that flew above our Indian tree during the longest energy black out that occurred after a terrible storm -- these are secrets I wish to keep and hope to say again the moment I meet the bright star, the traveling star and the silver firefly again.

The water sprinkling from the garden hose, made glittery by the sunlight has always been a spectacle to see. More so would be the world inside a dew drop. If you look closer, it's a whole new world in there, with you as a character! The water that flowed along the clean side canal has always been the route of many leaf boats, most of them carrying little flowers on the top. The moment I stepped my feet in the ocean for the first time at seven or eight years old, I felt wonderful. It's like going to a secret room in the house that you know has always been there but have never been to despite wanting to take a glimpse of. I'll always love the beauty and strength of the waters.

I like watching the ants walking a straight line with one in front of the other and the way they'd carry anything that's even bigger than they are. I love it whenever we pull this particular pot away from its place and seeing the hundreds or thousands of gentle black ants walking and minding their own business; we'd always stand beside this pot and wait for the ants to run around our legs. I'm allowing them to be with me, I thought. Maybe I'd be able to grow like a plant too if they walked around me. Out of whack sometimes, but I liked the idea.

The first time I saw butterflies, I screamed bloody murder. It was the first time we went to see where we will be living in -- a small white bungalow house overran by grass and tons of clouds in the hot blue sky. Yes, I'm scared of butterflies. And insects for that matter. The way their feet would scurry about, it makes me cringe up until now. But despite avoiding as fast as I can manage without screaming, I'll make sure that none of their eggs or larvae would be destroyed -- I'd enlist my family's help for that though! The moment I saw the giant daddy long legs up in our school's tree, and the tarantula in the shoe cupboard door were the moments I realized just how scary nature can sometimes be. But I try my best not to hate them so much. They were made that way, I'm sure they are beautiful in their own unique way, really. But seriously, let me appreciate from afar. I'll be content with that.

The soil felt so cozy -- I can't say for sure if that's a feeling one gets whenever they touch the soil. But for me, it feels so good in my hands and feet. I like holding them and turning them into cakes and feeding them to ants and fairies. Top it off with a lovely blossom and it's such a lovely chocolate cake!

My imagination was and has always been inspired by nature. It's an innate part of me.

My fondest memories were the one spent alongside it's "raw" beauty. Nature that is not manufactured, just nature being itself.

Nature must be treated kindly and with respect. When we take something, should we not give something back? No, nature doesn't need new buildings to make the landscape look good, nor does it need more plastic either. I'm not saying that progress should be stopped. Progress must be made with nature in mind and plan.

Look back on all those days when all we did was look at the world with the eyes of a child -- isn't the world such a beautiful place? I still feel the same about all these things. I still do most of them too! As an adult, peering closely at dew drops or saving ants from drowning or watching birds building their nests are still wonders that I still love to see.

Let's not waste this curious and wonderful place so that our children, or the plants' and animals' children would be able to fully experience the beauty and marvel that is this one earth.