Friday 5 August 2011

Invisible, too

Inspired by the art of Liu Bolan, which I wrote about yesterday, I spent the night with my paints in an attempt to emulate one of his 'Hidden in the City' photographs.

Here I am, hiding in plain site in the library. I think you really will struggle to see me, so good is my camouflage.

Not bad for a first attempt eh?


And here's a bit of a poem about being invisible:

The other day, I became invisible:
stumbled into, trodden on and brushed aside,
pulled out in front of at junctions, roundabouts.
I tried smiles – which were returned unopened.
I raised my hand, but no-one let me speak.
I was stared through – not like I was a window,
but more a grey area or just a feeling
that has to be endured or struggled through.
I went home defeated, was not welcomed,
looked in the mirror. There was no-one there.

© Clare Kirwan

13 comments:

  1. I didn't struggle to see you, but I didn't try very hard.
    I hope that this helps.

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  2. That's a neat trick Clare
    but I think you wasn't there!

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  3. Hello Clare:
    ...now we see you, now we don't.....this camouflage trick could surely be an asset when dealing with tricky customers in the library. In Hungarian shops the assistants have perfected the art of invisibility and are silent too!!

    Very neat bookshelves.....

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  4. And people say more transparency is a good thing.

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  5. I watched it for ten minutes, and then you scratched your nose. Gave the game away somewhat.

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  6. I have so much fun being invisible! That poem reminds me of how I dealt with loneliness before finding out how to disappear. I will say that you got me on the photo.

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  7. Ah, you've been lurking around bookcases for so long, you've got that camouflage down to a fine art. Great little poem, btw.

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  8. It's always a challenge for the general library user actually to locate books about camouflage. Moreover, I see you've hidden yourself under 535 Light and Paraphotic Phenomena. Very cunning...

    Good poem. But then I'm
    Afraid I stigmatizing rhyme
    As the curse
    Of verse.

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  9. H'm...sorry: L2 = Afraid I stigmatize rhyme

    *2 out of ten. Slides Dewey Decimal System down seat of trousers*

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  10. Paul B - How VERY dare you! ;-)

    The H's - These aren't actually my shelves. Mine are even neater! And we have NO tricky customers!! 8-)

    Martin - Yes, we can see right through that sort of talk!

    Dave - That wasn't my nose.

    Shockgrubz - I've often thought it would be one of the better super-powers (the invisibility, not the loneliness)

    Fran - Thank you! (Lurk? Moi?)

    Christopher - Yes, but I could also be under 111, or (more likely) 871 in Dewey

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  11. I see you, but it took a minute. How did you manage to shrink yourself like that? Also, awesome poem.
    +followed

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  12. Elliot - Years of experience! 8-) Thanks for the compliment... and the follow!

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