weight, decay

[asakiyume]

Across the sky, wispy white vertebrae from some decomposing heavenly beast.


photo by Flickr user Jen Scheer; cirrus vertebratus is an actual cloud type, apparently

"Sky creatures never stink when they decay," granddad says, "because they're half made of light. Down here we're made of heavy stuff and we stink when we decay. But the sky creatures have no sweet fragrances or intoxicating aromas, either. All the tantalizing scents we love come from the fact that earthly flesh is rich and heavy.

Comments

[asakiyume]

Me, arguing with myself: "But Asakiyume, chlorine gas is weightless and it has an odor. And so is car exhaust, and farts, and..."

Okay self, okay. Point taken. Stand down.

[(Anonymous)]

Facts and exhaust both emanate from heavy solid things.

[asakiyume]

Yes! Thank you! You've saved my idea ^_^

[sovay]

Across the sky, wispy white vertebrae from some decomposing heavenly beast.

That's a beautiful spine of light.

[asakiyume]

Isn't it! Imagine the heavenly chiropractor who works on that back.

[amaebi]

...the face, to think they could align it better....

[asakiyume]

Hahaha, well, they live up there too? But yeah.

[cmcmck]

That skyscape is stunning!

[asakiyume]

It is! I was lucky to find it. Good photo, Jen Scheer!

[rachelmanija]

I love that idea and illustrative pics. Is that a mangosteen?

[asakiyume]

It is indeed!

As you can see from my self-comment up above, I quickly realized the problem with my idea, but still, I feel like there's something to solidity and weight being the source of fragrance/odor/scent

[yamamanama]

Same heavenly beast that holds up the night sky?

[asakiyume]

I'm imagining this one as one of many... if the one that was holding up the night sky was now decaying, we'd be in trouble. Tomorrow we might wake up with piece of sky all around us, and what above us, I wonder....

[yamamanama]

Did you ever read Carl Sagan's Cosmos?

[asakiyume]

I am old enough that I saw the series when it was broadcast! But no, I never read the book.

[sartorias]

What a nifty sky!

[asakiyume]

Yes! I'm very happy that such a great photo exists. I've seen clouds like this--saw one today--but apparently the phenomenon is common enough for the cloud to be it's own type, with a name and everything. Remarkable!

have a plumeria-bloom icon in lieu of jasmine

[wayfaringwordhack]

So cool that cirrus vertebratus is an actual classification term. Funny how much you forget from school, but I still remember sitting in science class as a 9-year-old learning about the major cloud types. :D

I love the reflection prompted by the decay of masses and the emanation of fragrances. The first thing that popped in my mind was jasmine. Forgive the puns, but it is a weighty thing to consider the heady(heavy?) scent of jasmine on a breeze, such a powerful odor pumped out through such small flowers...when they are alive. And in their decay, that scent lessens rapidly and a mustiness takes over until the flower is just a papery husk with but a nuanceless ghost of a fragrance that can hang on for decades as the Mahorais lei on my mother-in-law's wall attests.

Re: have a plumeria-bloom icon in lieu of jasmine

[asakiyume]

Oh YES

I love jasmine. Last year I bought a plant, and I have been enjoying exactly this progression of the flowers. Also: how the flowers go from white to red! They wither red!

Your writing on them: *chef's kiss* perfect

(And I love your plumeria too)

Doorways to other worlds

[wayfaringwordhack]

Nothing to do with the post or comments, but I saw this image today and it made me think of you. :)

https://thewoodbetween.tumblr.com/post/102775906716/kati-immonen

Re: Doorways to other worlds

[asakiyume]

Oh I *love* that. Thank you 💛❄️💛❄️

Re: Doorways to other worlds

[wayfaringwordhack]

When I saw it, I had to share. :P

I want the chain of secret, watery access to hidden worlds to be long between us, not to peter into dim memory of, "what was that thing I used to say with my friend about reflections and worlds?" ;)

Re: Doorways to other worlds

[asakiyume]

we will keep adding to its watery links 🌊💙🌊💙

Re: Doorways to other worlds

[amaebi]

<3

[gale_storm]

Wowza.

“vertebrae from some decomposing heavenly beast”

Fish bones!! Heavenly fish bones!!

[asakiyume]

Exactly! heavenly fish bones!