Crumbling and Wet by Chipka
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Description
Sometimes, there is glass in the alley. Sometimes there are clods of sun-dried mud, or the dirty-rag shape of a dead squirrel long past decay. The squirrel has grown unrecognizable now. There is so little of it left.
Sometimes, when rain falls (as is common this spring) there are puddles, gleaming and shimmering like spastic mirrors. They are irregular in shape, imperfect reflectors of this world, but—when dreams and wild imaginings strike the one, right brain—perfect windows into another place. Though no one has yet found proof of this, there may be a better world in one lone puddle, a place anyone can get to, if they recognize its doorway, its threshold, and its invitation. Even if no such worlds exist, it is pleasant to think of them, and—perhaps—to use thoughts of them as a way to improve this complex and imperfect place.
The alley is bordered by bricks and by wood: the bases of apartment buildings, the feet of garages. The garages are—almost exclusively—wooden structures, though some of them wear aluminum siding (dented and frayed) like dented armor. A few of the garages are brick, and one of them drools constant moisture from gutters and downspouts. Fungi have claimed its corners; grass grows where cement has crumbled into a broken ghost of itself. Litter creeps into what corners are not claimed by fungi and by grass, and on occasion, dogs write their urinary signatures on rakish, car-struck bollards of cheap and featureless metal.
It is the decaying bricks at one corner of the alley that provide color. They remain moist; they are exposed to the north, where moss commonly grows because sunlight at such an exposure is diffuse, muted, and—at times—hazy. The colors of brick and moss and decayed, chipping mortar are the colors of a hard and jagged rainbow. They are a sudden splash of beauty in a world defined by clods of mud (sometimes sun-hardened, and sometimes wet, like silt abandoned on the bank of a river) or by the gutless pelt of a long-dead squirrel. The bricks and their algal/mossy growth are hard to spot, but when the light is right, and the alley is devoid of traffic, you might find them, while somewhere in the distance, strange Mexican-flavored polkas waft from car-speakers, or storefronts with open doors.
I found these bricks on one such day: a wet one.
As always, thank you for viewing, reading, and commenting, and I hope you’re all on the verge of a great weekend.
Comments (23)
durleybeachbum
FABULOUS photo, Chip! Droolworthy. and the writing is, as ever, a joy.
dochtersions
Very beautiful!!!
BessieB
Wonderful and I love the way your express yourself
flavia49
marvelous detail
kgb224
Stunning capture and wonderful writing my friend. God Bless.
blinkings
The colours and textures in the brickwork are magnificent.
MrsRatbag
What a fascinating composition; I love the roundings of the corners, the almost casual way it seems to have been constructed, and of course the artistic whittling that time and moss have worked on the whole thing. Wonderful capture, and another fascinating glimpse into the windings of your brain!
NefariousDrO
Superb shot, nice crisp details and wonderful rich color. That lovely green life is doing exactly what it does best: dissolving the bricks into the next generation of soil.
auntietk
The best part of that wall is what's not there. I just LOVE the missing mortar. Excellent capture!
mgtcs
Wonderful textures Chip, another excellent shot and lighting, superbly done!
evinrude
Way to get in there. Excellent find!!!
Orinoor
I love the imagery you use, the descriptions are so unexpected and so spot on.
sandra46
TERRIFIC TEXTURE
danapommet
I like the combination of colors and textures. Maybe the rain makes it look different than when it is dry. Dana
ia-du-lin
great foto, wonderful colors
Sepiasiren
kewl colors and textures--nicely done!
0rest4wicked
No doubt slimmed and hugged by many a snail and slug!
beachzz
Love all the colors and textures and details--old wet stuff can be pretty cool!!
belasebok
Excellent textures with nice colors. Congrats!
icerian
World as mosaic... that is the life. Well seen and captured!
RodS Online Now!
Wonderful color and texture, and a delightful mini-journey into another world. Just delightful - dead squirrels and all..
jac204
Great capture. As you took about rain in your description it brought to mind the picture of fog in Chicago that they showed on Good Morning America today.
myrrhluz
Another small rectangle of reality, opening doors into other worlds. Wonderful recesses into darkness. Beautiful color, textures, and lines that snake across this urban landscape. Excellent narrative! I love the second paragraph. Alternate realities and the doorways to them has always been fascinating to me. I also like the idea of someone living an entire life in the span of a few dying moments or in dreams. It is wonderful to think about, and enriches our lives regardless of its solidity. Your writing is filled with rich descriptions that bring images into my head, complete with damp smells and the sound of distant polkas. Fantastic image and narrative!