Camels and Strings

Just when I'd convinced myself there were no camels in Brooklyn, I came across Peter Khoury's image of these tasseled ungulates marching down Graham Avenue in a Three Kings Day parade in late January. I'm so glad he was there to capture the moment. Next year, I'm there.

I'm hoping Obama has a camel to ride. I know, he's not a king, we don't do royals here, but he's going to need a real hard-times animal to get through the economic wasteland he's bravely leading us across. It might be a little like climbing an avalanche, or opening the closet in which a certain mischief has led some to stash difficult realities for years and years. Most likely a Bactrian will be a more comfortable mount for the crossing, he can nestle between a fore and rear hump like a built-in secret service.

I learned from the movie The Weeping Camel that in Southern Mongolia a camel colt receives a blessing that states "may your humps grow straight and your hooves strong." Later in the movie a violinist is called into the remote outpost in the Gobi Desert to perform a ritual meant to improve the bond between a mother camel, presumably traumatized by a very long, difficult delivery, and her hungry colt. If I were to choose a movie to run on a loop in my house, this would be it, for so many reasons, because I adore camels, because of the sweetness and sensitivity of the young Mongolian mother as she cares for all the herds around the house and her children, the breathlessly beautiful landscapes of the Gobi, and of course, all the lustrous tunics and adorable booties warn by the denizens of the silk road.

Another thing I could stand on a loop would be the bassists playing live on the Internet as part of Deep Tones For Peace. On Friday from 4-4:30 you can view Brooklyn Bassist Reuben Radding take his turn in this newly envisioned web-based ritual dedicated to expressing hope for peace in the Middle East. The initiative is a "daily streaming of live meditations for peace." What an amazing way to punctuate the day and welcome sundown. I'm inspired.

Thanks to Peter for the camels, appearing at Graham Avenue at Powers St., my old neighborhood! In closing, a taste of the Gobi from The Weeping Camel. What a beautiful Earth she is. The movie is worth viewing for the landscapes alone.