heaven on earth

I really like this--Crossing the River Styx-- by Joachim Patinir. I'm not sure why. It is housed here in Madrid at the Museo del Prado.

This is Charon, Hades' trusty ferryman. Talk about a creepy job, all day long rowing souls from here and now to there and later.

He didn't always have such a clean aspect...other artists (like Michelangelo) depicted him like this. I prefer the first, despite the fact that I am a bit bothered by the indifference of his facial expression. It's okay though, I sense what's going on in the stance, and I sense fear. Fear is an exciting emotion that we like to tickle ourselves with on occasion, or in this case, slowly descend ourselves into its shadowy aura.

This is my here and now and there and later. Okay, I don't have a boat or a mythical character to transport me from one place to the next. Nor is my there and later a fiery burning hell, although a purgatory is definitely in order if you ask me. Anyway, take what you will of it, I like to think heaven on earth is a definite possibility.

And for the record, from left to right: me, weirdly enough laughing while riding a horse, El Calefate, Argentina; a photo from a disposable camera (ahem, lacking a bit on the light), if I recall correctly, it was something like 7 a.m. in the midst of one bizarro night, walking to the Alhambra, Granada, Spain; can't quite see it here, but yes that's a double rainbow, I specifically remember thinking when I decided to take this picture, This is heaven, Block Island, Rhode Island.