Showing posts with label taxidermy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label taxidermy. Show all posts

Thursday, April 25, 2013

Haunted By Glass Eyes

Yesterday I was up in London for the day with my son visiting a college open day. We had a couple of hours to spare before we caught our coach back so we wandered  around the Natural History Museum. It's quite a few years since I was here last, but it doesn't really change. The building is magnificent outside and in. It reminds me of Hogwarts.
If you've never been here, there is a lot of taxidermy (not a favourite thing of mine) but, all of it done by Victorians many years ago. Time has ticked on and the animals have faded,which adds to the melancholy feel of seeing them.


The old lion touched me the most. How can artificial eyes look so sad?  It made me wonder if the taxidermist was feeling the same as he prepared the King of the jungle for his life behind glass?  I promised him that he would feature in one of my paintings when I said goodbye.


Old Lion, how did you spend your days.
I hope you felt the African sun on your back.
Your real eyes have long gone, what did they see?
Zebra, impala, Baobab tree.
Your body treated and preserved for humans to admire.
In a cold case you stand, blind glass eyes.
I would take you out if I could.
Faded and sad and misunderstood.

                                                                    (Words by me)