24.10.06

One moment's life


- This is what I want you to do: tell me everything you know about one moment in your day, or in your life at that…

- You mean to describe a moment.

- Yes. precisely. From the elements that create the moment, to the effects of each, to the general color of it…

- Like a day-to-day tragedy.

- No. not tragedy. nothing emotionally charged. nothing about departures, break ups… or any heart wrenching moments. None of this she-gazed-across-the-garden-at-him kind of business… Tell me about a simple uncomplicated moment. You see, here lays the challenge: to always be able to find something, even in the ordinary. Kundera wrote a novel once based on a single gesture, a coquettish gesture of an old woman by the pool…

- I see. Well, maybe this moment right now. your gesture. your voice. the harsh clatter of your Arabian bracelets while swinging your arm. your soft gaze from behind your…

- No. stop. don’t describe what your eyes can see. I have eyes and ears and could see all you’re talking about. You should bring me inside your head for a moment. I want to read you and be able to be you for a second. It’s important to be attentive, yes, but what’s more important is to convey the color of the moment. No sweet words, no love and softness… do you really use the word ‘gaze’ in your head when thinking?

- No.

- Exactly. So start again.

- OK. This moment, now… here: we’re having coffee in the afternoon. I’m talking to you. your plants. I feel you’re a little patronizing. It’s slightly turning me on, only slightly though for I still feel comfortable, confident and in control – maybe the attraction is a deviation from being offended – up to a certain point where I still don’t feel the need to seduce… the color of the moment would be excitement, a little sexual, but not smugness… also I am not taking you totally seriously, yet I find this conversation interesting. your draping silk gown. The clatter of your bracelets caught my attention. It’s captivating. so oriental. So.. you. the color of the moment is very oriental… because you are in it. yet I don’t feel foreign, I easily belong in it. because your body language is welcoming. You freely touch my thigh while talking. Your womanhood is very… uninhibited now. you feel like your talking to your child. This gives the moment a touch of tenderness, you’re not covering your language with any niceties, and this colors the moment with authenticity, you’re not wearing a mask, as if you are sharing your inner self with me, and you want me to share mine with you, hence your request… the Turkish coffee and the brown furniture add an earthly feeling, yet the color is still very spiritual. I feel more connected to Earth around you, right now…

- Good… Finish your coffee now and then leave. I have an appointment shortly.

“One minute in the life of the world is going by. Paint it as it is” – Cézanne.

Pic: Paul Cézanne. Maison au Toit Rouge (1885-1886).

13 comments:

Maya@NYC said...

you are THE master!!

Laila K said...

f---ing amazing

Unknown said...

wow!! so real! what was striking to me is that up to the last passage, when you define the gender, i could not tell who the man and who the woman were.

Ostfen said...

very...

Hashem said...

a color of a moment, in a color-blind world...
a song, in a deaf world.
Poetry...in a lab book.
very inspiring, Gus!
And i love Cezanne.

Ghassan said...

wow back!
thanks :))
it's a good exercise (to describe a single moment, I mean) you should try it... it started with cezanne's quote... but I couldn't describe a real one, so I faked it. I'm going to try again today. (and if you'll try it as well, it has to be an ordinary moment, nothing 'grand' - because I thought this'd teach me to become preceptive to all elements that create a passing moment... for a day or so I've become more alert to things around me)

gitanes legeres said...

to gauge the immensity of one moment..

Hilal CHOUMAN said...

That's very beautiful gus.

rouba said...

gus i loved this post
partly because it's so well-wrotten and partly because it freezes time

rouba said...

well written (o'm havong trible woth my o's)

Fouad said...

well-wrotten, like a good cheese :)
that was grand gus. it gave me palpitations...

Anonymous said...

Hmm Gus - don't know why I didn't read your blog before - why?
And why am I linked to all these fine people from Lebanon - it happened unnoticed, slowly and it just happened.
You see, Lebanon is to the Middle East like Switzerland is to Europe - small but full of bravery and culture. The only thing Lebanon now needs is a "product", like cheese, chocolate,swiss army knifes or fondue to make a statement, to make the statement: This is us!
Yeah sure, I'm sort of joking, but I actually believe that would put you "on the map". So I'm half serious, half joking. In any case, there seems to be such an abundance of resources in Lebanon, and a flock of incredible people with incredible minds ... it is about time to make it clear to it's (Lebanons) neighbors that you are your own.
Maybe then even Israel will "fuck off" and leave you alone, I don't know.

Ghassan said...

thanks zee :)
well, we have... good weed (at least used to - hahaha) and shopping (which was a minor scandal when one of miss lebanon contestant answered that - the shopping part not the weed part of course - live on tv)