Pilgrim in Chapel Hill

I just finished Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, a book I think everyone in our family has read, and I'm the last. Dad used to teach it in his courses at LVC. It is really spectacular, and should be required reading for every artist.

One afternoon recently, I stepped out of my apartment onto the balcony and saw this dazzling butterfly perched on the railing. I stood stock-still for a good two minutes, watching it open and close its wings. I had just been reading Annie Dillard's description of how to stalk muskrats - by deconstructing completely, forgoing all ego, becoming only an array of receptive senses. I tried to do the same thing with this butterfly, and mostly succeeded (though interrupted by flashes of "I'm doing the Annie Dillard thing! I'm doing the Annie Dillard thing!"). 

This poor baby was probably nipped by a bird, though it could still fly well. And it was good enough to pose for me a long while so I could rouse enough ego-function to take pictures. (Click on the picture above to see a bigger version.)

Comments

[Clare]

I think often of Dilliard's observation that most things in nature are nipped, scarred, notched, ripped, torn -- in some way scathed. I'm glad this butterfly could still fly.