Three Meditations in Marker

Rainbow of ribbons on a fence atop Montreal

I'm beginning to think that the category of "graffiti" includes more than the traditional painted tag. It could include yarn bombing,or ribbons tied to a fence as I once found in Montreal. Or it might even be a bizarre mobile made from doll parts - an image you'll see in an upcoming post.

But perhaps the simplest graffiti is written with a marker on a suitable surface as in the image below. These three sets of marker wisdom may have been written by the same person, but each could represent a separate philosophical statement. 

"HE LOVES YOU" is written beside an inverted pentagram with a goat's head inside that some read as the symbol of the Devil, or possibly the symbol of Baphomet. Hell or no, everybody knows that the Devil throws the better party and is most interested in our pursuit of pleasure and happiness - now that's love. Though the two characters are not equivalent, the phrase echoes the "Jesus Loves You" slogan so prevalent in Christianity. Recent photos however indicate that perhaps Jesus definitely does NOT love you. 

"WHO ARE YOU? WHO AM I?" is as existential as it comes and raises the question of identity - something we often take for granted. Recent news reports indicate that the human body, the personal "I" we think of ourselves as being, an integral, single, human unit is actually a teeming community of microbes and plenty of DNA that isn't even human. 

"LiFE'S A RIDE SO ENJOY" could be the Devil's advice, but it also seems like wise advice to celebrate life while you have it - before your ride is over (and who knows when that will be?).