Nicola Farquhar secret squirrels
2020

Hey, A.C! next images are just off my phone :) some not quite finished …

Leap

I’m familiar with the edges of my limits
and that I could make it right across the river
with one great leap, but after consideration I thought it wise
to jump straight into the middle of it’s length
it was the same distance after all

Luckily there was a canoe just within arms reach
and I pulled it toward me and clambered in
I made my way along by paddling, left, right, left, right
it was not one of those rivers that go out to the sea
fortunately, so I soon found myself on solid ground

I was aware that it was the perfect habitat for wild bears
and being wary of having the back of my head torn off
I walked along slowly one foot in front of the other with my hands up
saying over and over in a calm voice “I surrender, I surrender”
and focussed my eyes steadily ahead

Pretty soon I could see the horizon quite clearly
which did help my balance as quite honestly, with my arms in the air
I was starting to feel a little light-headed myself
Once I reached the cliff edge I could get my head lower than my body
and that’s when I felt all the blood rushing back in

Sliding along safely on my back with my legs straight as an arrow
I was analogous to a surfboard on a huge wave
I liked this sensation of linear growing momentum
and started laughing helplessly like one of those situations
where you are completely out of control

Finally I was circling around and around and around
and only came to a stop when I reached my maximum capacity
I stood up and brushed off the grass and stones
No damage! I thought breezily and walked up to the first house I saw
could I please borrow your telephone or internet? I asked

Fortunately it was a house full of birds not wolverines
passionately off-grid, they offered to fly me to the nearest airport
So that’s how you came to see me up overhead
my soft underbelly in shadow like an aeroplane above you
gripped in the claws of opportunistic gulls

You always talk about how much you appreciate scavengers
and anybody that cleans stuff up generally in fact
But now I’ve been dropped at your feet and I’m on my feet myself
and we are eye to eye and you are saying, horrified
“Oh my god what happened to your face!”

2020