First Voice:
To wear this world of paper, you must first
Imagine how the texture fits your form.
It wrinkles there, and here’s a dash of red,
and over there the shadow of a path.
Second Voice:
It’s not enough to be a paper doll;
No, you must learn to breathe in two, not three
Dimensions: forget depth, and think in shade
And light, but mostly light: when shadow’s lost
First Voice:
It’s easy to forget there’s only ink
And paper between you and all the noise
That ceases to exist here in this place.
But take a little something of it home:
Second Voice:
Whether a dragon’s tooth of just a thought
And hold it in your hand to keep you whole
Third Voice:
The snowfall left a pillow on the ground
In Ling Xiao Long, a dragon stirred and woke
And whirled into an inky effigy
Surrounded by serenity he seems
First Voice:
At first an out of place brushstroke, but then
I see his curves reflected in the flowers
Second Voice:
And all the pillows fade to unimportance
Third Voice:
And everything that held us is a lie.
Notes & Credits:
The photos for this post were shot in the virtual region of Ling Xiao Long. Ling Xiao Long is one of twenty-one regions that make up this year’s Relay For Life of Second Life’s Annual Fantasy Faire. Ling Xiao Long is the designated “LitFest” region, where authors and poets and writers of all sorts come to talk about their trades and to write together. Tours of the Faire regions also depart from the marketplace at Ling Xiao Long.
Ling Xiao Long is sponsored by PaperFriends and designed by Fiona Fei. You can visit Ling Xiao Long in Second Life, but only until the 9th of May, when the Fairelands recede back into the mists until new magical lands rise to become the next Fairelands regions.
What’s Gwyneth Wearing?
O my darlings, Enchantment is just around the corner, bringing to us A Midsummer Night’s Dream, my favourite Shakespeare play, because I am a Summer Queen and I love a Summer Theatre. Many of the beautiful things Gwyneth is wearing will be featured at Enchantment, including:
- The Stunning Rose Gown: Fugue, Midsummer Dream Gown in Rose, Distilled.
- The Blossom Mask: Bliensen & MaiTai, Peaseblossom Mask
- The Silver Tattoo: Nefekalum, Thisbe
Everything else:
- Body: Maitreya
- Head: Lelutka EvoX Avalon
- Skin: Lumae, Amesha in T2
- Jewellery: Kunglers, Adna Earrings and Necklace
- Hair: Tableau Vivant, Chloras Add-On
Don’t worry! There are more Fairelands Stories to come; the faire isn’t over yet— but these things from Enchantment lent themselves beautifully to the story, and Enchantment opens just a little more than a week from now, on the 15th of May!
Three Twisted Knots 