Connections
By The Silk Cotton
Beware of the Silk Cotton tree!
Beware of the "Jumbie" Tree!
Spirits roam here.
Cut not one branch,
Nor sever a leaf!
Lest you should free the jumbies!
Spirits live here! Or is that us?
Spirits dance here! Or is that us?
Leave them gifts at its feet.
ABOUT THIS PIECE
On the left, the child is dancing. On the right, the adult is dancing. At the center stands the silk cotton tree-- like every folktale that our parents and grandparents taught us. These stories guide us, teach us lessons, and on occasion keep us awake at night! They become bridges connecting the many stages in life. As a child, the silk cotton tree may represent something ominous, to be feared. As an adult the meaning might change to represent something sacred, forbidden; something meant to be left alone. This is the constitution of folklore, they may mean something new at every stage of your life.
At the silk cotton tree, spirits live here! Is that us? Are they the spirits of our past and future selves unraveling the new meaning of a folktale?
