Monday, November 06, 2006

Ciphers

I found this in my paper scraps to-do box. It was written with a mauve Sharpie on the ripped back of an envelope sometime in October:

Verde

J
Março
Preto
Erica
13
Bahia
oceano
casar

It makes absolutely no sense to me. When I found it, I was confused because I couldn’t even remember why I had it in the first place. Usually, I remember the quirkiest things. For example, a note that says “Newspaper praia kid” does not refer a boy selling newspapers on the beach. It refers to a boy lying down on a pile of newspapers in the favela (I think I’ve already shared this story). I see those three words and I remember the whole experience. "Hose god" was a picture I wanted to take of this kid who was watering nothing by the side of the river, letting water arc in a sharp brilliance against the green of the hillside and the intense darkeness of his skin, his posture like that of a Greek god in complete zen mode...But this? It doesn’t ring ANY bells. This is not a food list, or a to-do, or a prayer list. It doesn’t follow a dream, or what happened during the day, or even thoughts while watching a novela. It doesn’t even make sense “translated:”

Green

J
March
Black
Erica
13
Bahia (a state in Brazil)
ocean
to marry

Why do I write things down for which I forget not only the significance but also can’t even remember writing??? On the off chance that this is important, carries a key to the lottery in 2010, or is a code for where I hid a lot of money while sleepwalking one evening, I guess I’ll be keeping this scrap a bit longer. Any prophetic Daniels out there who want to try a hand at deciphering this one?

2 comments:

Ellen said...

its about your wedding- where you want it; near the ocean, in wherever that is in Brazil, the wedding colors, the day of the month, who you want as a bridesmaid, or perhaps to do something particular in the wedding.

wren said...

Or maybe it was a writing exercise for me: "Verde: a poem"

Jewelry in March is usually green
Just St. Patty's day, that one saint
Justly claimed by both sides. Erica
Judges the Catholic-Protestant debate,
Juxtaposing Black Friday with
Jello Sunday, both claiming the same
Jesus, both superstitious about 13.

James checks out Bahia beaches,
Jellyfish in the ocean, whether
Juice will be served for breakfast.
Jammed between Patty's Day and
Jello, his wedding to Erica will be
Joyously celebrated with green.