One of the really surprising things I’ve discovered about my new setting in Lake Oswego, is that there are statues and sculpture around just about every corner. Big and little. I live about a block from the town’s central plaza / park and there is a stone wall I pass on the way which is largely covered in vines and vegetation. But there are little clefts in the wall with small bronze basins for water. They’re weathered and some are a little worse for wear. It was only today that I really started thinking about the details…
They’re odd little sculptures. But neat. In a creepy sort of way. Like this one, which I call turtle boy. It’s kind of hard to see, but there’s a turtle hanging over the head of a little boy, who is leaning over the basin.
The conjoined twins. There’s a girl leaning back with her mouth open, and her watery hair is joined to a another girl’s face. This one is only a few inches off the ground, so as I pass by, I’m looking down into the long-haired girl’s upside down face. I can’t tell if she’s asleep and dreaming of the other girl, or if she’s moaning…
The angry man. The water stains coming from his mouth make me think he’s screaming or vomiting his wrath.
The bearded man. He kind of looks like a fellow from 18th century England, to me. Sort of staid and disapproving.
These heads are smaller than my fist, and the basins are about the size of a bread basket. Charming. Interesting. They draw me in with their character and expressions and their intriguing setting. There is no plaque or anything which tells me who or why they are there. I find myself daydreaming about them quite a bit, which I suppose is their purpose. Thought-provoking.
Story prompts.
