Shel Graves' Sensorium

The 1,000 lakes of Fascinated shine with golden sun. They reflect the golden, pink, rose, and orange hues of sun strikes and dapple the land. The water ripples blue, green, grey and slate at dusk and on overcast days. Raindrops prick their flat surfaces. Thin grasses grow in the space between them and flat flowers, primroses with leaves pressed tight to the land, bloom in bright colors beside them lifting little petals to the sun. Lotuses bloom in the lakes. Frogs sing and carp jump. Cranes drop their heads into the lakes to drink. The lands between the lakes are wild, unsettled, and pristine. Frogs would rule the land, but remain unmotivated. Most prefer to rest with the sun warming their porous green skin, content with few thoughts listening to the vibrations of bird song and the rippling lake. About this project: Emotion 365: Every Day a New Land of Emotion

Secretive hides in cliffs. Outside, fauns roam the forests. Inside, centaurs hold ceremonies. Shapeshifting birds send messages to far away lands across the prairies Transparent. Sometimes the centaurs guide their messages and provide advice to other lands, but often the Secretive birds have their own ways. They have sharp eyesight, the ability to see in the dark, and keen intuition. Pillars, statues, and monuments made of rocks, shiny things, and symbols, decorate the Cliffs of Secretive and have special meanings to those who know them — there are no plaques, no explanations. Visitors are allowed, on short visas only. About this project: Emotion 365: Every Day a New Land of Emotion

Taste:  burnt cherries Sound: Mary Shelley hissing Smell:  mold, dung Sight:  mossy rocks and trees, a vivid living green Touch: the little dog's head upon my foot; the weight of a cow patty Extra: She likes to have the entire house to herself.; All of the tofu and toilet paper are gone. What do you need? What do you want? Maybe we can find it together.; "Remember you are water. Of course you leave salt trails. Of course you are crying. Flow." — adrienne marie brown,  "Emergent Strategy: Shaping Change, Changing Worlds"  Grateful for: Pasado's, dreams, dog friends

Buffalo and gazelle roam the Transparent prairie under open skies. Wisps of cloud skim the blue sky. Brisk air stirs across the flat land. In summer, dust billows over Transparent. Rain falls and puddles in spring. The rivers engorge. Prairie blossoms pink the desert. Rabbits run. Groundhogs push their black noses into the air. Vultures unfurl their wings. People pass through Transparent on speeding trains. Few humans call it home. Most gaze at the prairie from gleaming windows or ride through on slow carriages. Centaurs build homes here in caves under the cliff houses. They keep no secrets except those that are written down and left unspoken. About this project: Emotion 365: Every Day a New Land of Emotion

Musicians gather under cover in the large hut Talented to play together in the rain or on the large outdoor stage when the sun shines. Visitors arrive from many lands to listen to the music, drink the healing teas, sit in the spas, and enjoy the soothing waters. They come away refreshed and healed from many long journeys. They learn new songs and refresh their skills. All sing together beautiful voices in harmony. In the Talented hut, anyone may step into the Talented Glass Inhabitors and gain the skills of any talented being in the lands. They feel how it is to move fast, think vital thoughts, and do things with precision and skill. The denizens of Talented honor each other. They sing of talents and meditate on feats. When the cattails burst, the fluff carries the seeds of Talented to other lands. About this project: Emotion 365: Every Day a New Land of Emotion

Cattails dance in the spring breeze throughout the wetland Compassionate filled with frog song. Butterflies flit and dragonflies whir. Bridges cross the lands. Walkways wind around the lotus ponds with fragrant open flowers. The smell of wet licorice wafts through the air. Snakes with dazzling green skins slither and orb spiders weave miraculous webs. The Compassionate people weave grass placemats, baskets, and bedding. They live in grass huts on posts above the water. They sing beautifully with voices like birds. They play harps and flutes and other string and reed instruments. Musicians come here to learn from the Compassionate teachers. About this project: Emotion 365: Every Day a New Land of Emotion

A remote small island with a crooked, sandy shoreline, Carefree is perhaps not much to speak of itself with its few palms, ferns, and flowers, however a most beautiful sea surrounds it. From it the most beautiful sunrises and sunsets may be enjoyed and the porpoises seen playing at their games. Not many visit, and they do not stay long at this getaway, but it is an essential stop on the Ferry of Delight. Here the ferry refuels and the workers take breaks enjoying conversation and silence together as they watch the waves. The Island of Carefree holds a special place in their lives so they named it their capitol, although this leaves them out of the decision-making of most other lands because the parrots of Carefree don’t care much for politics and have little to contribute. Sometimes a Carefree parrot attends a summit and preens its colorful feathers distracting others in serious meetings. Looking at the brilliant Carefree feathers, the Speaker says, “Ought we mess with things at ...

Delight ferries people along a chain of beautiful islands across calm, turquoise, sunlit waters filled with whales and porpoises. The workers of the ferry Delight help travelers aboard and provide them with food and beverages. Many beings travel the islands and those most blessed work aboard Delight. The largest, best-kept ferry in the fleet, Delight has three levels and a sun deck. Once a dog jumped off Delight to play with the porpoises and the ferry stopped to help him back aboard. The water between islands runs warm and soothes the skin of swimmers. On holidays, Delight stops midway between the islands and everyone dives into the channel to swim with the cetaceans. About this project: Emotion 365: Every Day a New Land of Emotion

A small colony of Ice Walkers lives on the iceberg Fragile, too small for a seaplane to land or a ship to dock, off the ring of Cold Jealousy. Ice falls in flakes into the sea in springtime. Floes and half submerged icy spears float around the berg. Seals dive after fish and surface with a mouthful. Sometimes in summer, a clumsy Ice Walker slips into the sea. Impervious to the cold, they cannot swim and eventually drown or become food for the ice sharks. Walruses toss their bodies. Fragile sparkles in the springtime thaw, but frost covers it most of the year. About this project: Emotion 365: Every Day a New Land of Emotion

Ice walkers live on the ice continent Jealousy overlooking the Cold Sea where the ring of ice Cold Jealousy lies surrounded by whales and topped by the bare rock of Indignant. The ice walkers, unsheltered, turn into pillars at night to preserve heat. In daytime, they roam among bears, seals, and sea birds. Ice crevasses open within the flat continent when temperatures warm. They crackle and snap. Visitors come to see the bears, seals, and whales and the springtime beauty of the blue sparkling ice.  “The air is crisp and pure. The seas are bright and clear,” they tell their friends. The ice walkers speak a quiet language which most cannot hear. They draw patterns in the ice, stories to them, but incomprehensible to scientists from other lands. About this project: Emotion 365: Every Day a New Land of Emotion

Taste: yeast Sound: patter, scruff, stumble, bumble Smell: scratch n' sniff lilac; scratch n' sniff peanut butter Sight: typing into the white light; a little girl goat hops up onto a stump; a wagging goat tail Touch:  floof, tufts, puffs Extra: resilient dogs; when intense sadness squeezes out words instead of tears; what if I got someone killed?; the virus; "How can one still/love the things they will/never have again. Every day/is its own damp apocalypse." — Caroline Chavatel, "This Fabulous Century I" in Poetry Northwest Volume XVI Grateful for: Pasado's; adopters; the construction workers

Water workers gather in Companionable Silence, the city in the canyon. People row canoes down river shoots and cross the canyon. On hot days children and otters play by the river shore. The canyon echoes with their laughter. Sunrises and sunsets cast light upon the canyon walls reflected on the city of Companionable Silence. The denizens look like shadows and do not speak. “They have featureless faces, but are not frightening,” says the Guide. “They are farmers and kiln workers.” They pack goods and foods in clay pots. Sometimes they run in packs beside the wild horses. “They are surprisingly fast and swim well, too," says the Guide. About this project: Emotion 365: Every Day a New Land of Emotion

Many trails lead across the flat plain Belonging down a deep river canyon. People gather to watch sunrises and sunsets which paint the rock walls red, lavender, yellow, and orange. Painters erect easels and canvas to capture the colors they saw with a certain loved one. Herds of wild horses gallop across the plain, browse pink and white prairie flowers, and lower their heads to the river. Longhouses on the mesas provide shelter. Visitors walk the plains at dawn and dusk holding hands with their loved ones. They carry maize in clay pots made in companionable silence.

The Indignant exception: a bare melted spot on the ice ring Cold Jealousy where sea planes may land and a few ice walkers live in the open among the terns without shelter. They live here to be close to the whales and learn their language and songs. At night, they look as frozen pillars. In daytime, they sing whale songs. They speak only to each other and tell their troubles to the whales. The terns nest upon them. Sea planes fly over them and record their music.

Off the coast of the Continent Distrust in the Cold Sea lies the ice ring Jealousy. It does not sparkle except in the warm season when it slightly melts. Whales circle the island singing. They sleep in its inlets but migrate in winter to warmer climes. The ice island misses them. Seabirds perch on the ice. Tuna circle the inlet. Waves rock the outer ice, while the sea in the inlet remains calm. Tanker ships run through the channel surrounded by black whale pods. The frosted circlet Jealousy looks inviting from above, but no aircraft may safely land. Cliffs fall into the sea with no safe shore to watch from. Cold Jealousy can only be seen from the air or the far sea. It remains in isolation, beautiful but distant.

Every good can be found in the desert outpost Defiant. Visitors arrive to gaze at the land in blossom. Antelope and cheetah live harmoniously in the capitol where predators do roam. Visitors bring trade goods, sell wares, and guide tourists across the deserts. Sometimes, they become lovers and make families of antelope-cheetah called Telopah. Most resourceful, the Telopah traders can find any goods, anywhere.

Cracks stretch across the flakey floor of the desert Broken leading into caverns. In summer, hidden seeds root after soft rains and miniature flowers blossom: pink and yellow daisies, magenta and white asters. Horses, antelope, and wildebeest graze. Predators find the land inhospitable so only flies and gnats worry the herds.

Relieved blooms during the molting time of Defensive when the thorns fall. Relieved rises from the ground and unfurls soft and petaled. The thorny beings soften as thorns wither, droop, and drop. All make their way to the soft ground of Relieved which appears in a new location each molt. They travel drawn by its alluring scent which grows stronger and stronger as the Defensive thorns rot. The Relieved come to keep council, share wisdom, and dance. Visitors arrive, but must be invited. They come by air gently landing on a welcoming petal pad. The city bears fruit that feeds the rest of Defensive until Relieved emerges again. New laws and edicts may only be passed during molting season. The Defensive find contentment during their pilgrimage to Relieved.  "It always seems more beautiful and welcoming than I remember," says a Pilgrim. "I am never disappointed. The scents and tastes never fail to delight. " The memory of Relieved lasts and gives pleasure until Def...

Thorny vines ring Defensive. They trail across the sands of Defensive deserts in tropical tangles. They wrap the trunks of ancient forest trees. The vines blossom with red trumpets with pink centers. A delicious smell wafts from the long stamens. Spikes protect the cities. Defensive vines grow even underwater in the Defensive lakes and rivers. Even the boldest explorers avoid Defensive. Only the intrepid venture in. They meet people made of vines and covered in thorns. During the month of May, Defensive molts and the land and its denizens become touchable. The harvested thorns make fantastic weapons and also can be ground into a wholesome and hearty bread. Emotion 365: Every Day a New Land of Emotion

Light glows through the frosted windows of gingerbread cottages in the dark center of the Forest of Shame. Lampposts ring the city. A dim red light radiates through the windows onto the winding trails around the cottages. Three cobbled paths made of rock candy lead to the three largest cottages where the Embarrassed Witches live. They can turn everything into sticky sweets. In their hearths, witches burn peppermint logs beneath pots of bubbling candy. They make hard candies, maple fudge, and penuche. They live solitary lives except when they share their sweets on festival days when all of Shame awakes. And when the join the midnight witches' dances, they lift their skirts and show striped stockings. Emotion 365: Every Day a New Land of Emotion

Evergreen boughs droop in the dark forest, Shame, where the sun never penetrates. Fallen branches block winding paths traveled by deer. Wolves howl. Owls hoot. Rats crawl through the underbrush. Twigs snapped underfoot break long silences. Moonlight falls in glimpses through dense forest. No one lives here, but everyone hides in Shame's mountain caves or gingerbread cottages deep in the forest. Some shelter in treehouses in the canopies of dark oaks or in the tunnels and shadows under their roots. On festival days, the forest Shame awakes and the hidden creatures crawl into the moonlight. The forest denizens call a truce. No one may be hurt or shamed. Everyone dances and sings to their ability. They hold hands and climb the trees. Tree soldiers stand round the perimeter of Shame and scare away anyone who maybe thinking of venturing in to explore, but anyone may follow the winding pathway along the Shame river into Shame, a place shrouded but sweet. Emotion 365: Every Day a New L...

After Fearless, adventurers and explorers come to the outpost Brave to tell their tales. They live and work here between outings. Brave serves stout beers and potato pies. The explorers regale each other with all they have done. Writers come to listen and gather stories. Garmand, an enormous tree, surrounds Brave at the edge of the Fearless jungle. Travelers sleep in the branches and make dens in the roots. Under the canopy, storytellers gather. They know each other well and greet each other by name when they arrive. “Hurrah, Barton! Where have you been?” The Brave treat each other with respect and toast each other’s adventures. Explorer Rosamund Pike logs their comings and goings: “Expedition 1; Expedition to the Center; Expedition Under the Mount; 5:07 a; April 7, 00; party of four” Siem Eggale keeps a log expeditions not yet made but desired. Everyone loves to tell Siem their ideas and add to the book of future adventures. “I have an idea for an adventure!” someone shouts and...

Poisonous and carnivorous flowers grow in tropical Fearless. Reptiles bare teeth. Amphibians lurk in poisonous skin. Panthers hover in the trees. The river flows with toothy maws. In the hot and moist atmosphere, animals dine on delicious blossoms and sweet fruits. They dig in the rich soil, bed upon soft heaps of earth, and swim through wide slow clear rivers. They dip their paws into the waters on hot days and sigh. Birdsong raises the canopies higher. Adventurers and explorers apply for visitors visas. "It's my life's wish to roam Fearless," says adventurer Charmood Leafwhacker. “When my visa was approved a thrill went through me,” explorer Kira Lingerton said. “I know when the space aliens land, it will be here in the Fearless jungle. They will be awed and quickly killed by accident. Likely some have already come and gone and left some trace of their alien culture." Emotion 365: Every Day a New Land of Emotion

The prominent slopes of Delight, the highest peak in the Amusement Mountain, call out to all. The Cats of Delight and Deer of Delight frolic together taking sustenance from the very air. A tram from Laughing Peak slides across the sky and delivers small groups of visitors. They climb the peaks of Delight, stand upon its hills, gaze into the eyes of the mountain cats and pet the deer. Even from below those who gaze up into Delight gain pleasure from observing the peaks' beauty. How does it feel to see beauty? The people of Amusement build temples to Delight and stairways to its slopes, but nothing upon the peak itself. They do not wish to disturb the companionable deer and cats or in anyway to mar the beauty of those alpine slopes which cannot be improved upon in any way. "The Peaks of Delight," they say. "The greatest gift." Emotion 365: Every Day a New Land of Emotion

Amusement rises over other lands. Peach sunsets kiss the mountain tops and make the patches of snow shine on its sides blush. Mountain goats range below eagles. Visitors come to climb the mountains for sheer joy. No one dies on these soft slopes which catch the falling. Exultant laughter echoes in the canyons. Mountain dwellers live among sheep and lions. Pleasure befalls all who observe the peaks of Amusement. Amusement accepts many visitors but few residents. Aged dwellers worship the mountain gods: The Laughing Peak and The Serene Smile. Emotion 365: Every Day a New Land of Emotion

Overwhelmed, the capitol of Apprehensive, lies in the center of a frozen lake. In springtime, it thaws and the outer edges of the city sink and must be rebuilt. Always the people of Overwhelmed talk of The Great Thaw and what they will do when it comes. Ideas are proposed. No one agrees upon a solution. The people take various, inconsistent actions. No one plan comes to fruition. Ice trains take people from Apprehensive to Overwhelmed and back again. Ice men draw sleds filled with denizens. In the city, nervous dogs cower and bite in fear. There are no cats or other animals. The Animal Protectors freed them, except for a few dogs which cling to people anxiously. Terraces and stairways wind up the majestic city. Passageways wind down narrow alleys. The leaders wear gray robes. They employ many builders to add stairways and passageways and rebuild what has been destroyed. Emotion 365: Every Day a New Land of Emotion

Denizens live in ice castles in the snow and ice-covered land of Apprehensive. The temperature stays below freezing except when it warms for a brief rain which freezes into ice slicks. Paths are slick, treacherous to walk upon, but pristine and beautiful: unspoiled but by the fear of falling. The Lords of Apprehensive have the faces and bodies of arctic bears. Surefooted white foxes dance across the land in pursuit of hares. The Lords negotiate with seals and minke whales in the Ice Sea. Thick skin and warm fur covers all denizens.

Helpful, a modest circular city beside the meadows of Sympathy, welcomes travelers to restock their supplies. They drink nourishing beverages unique to Helpful. Pies sit on the windowsills. The citizens lookout for each other and everyone belongs to one council or another. It is not so well-organized as active and evolving. Streets and landmarks in the circular city are well-marked. The signage, designed by the fairies of Sympathy, is clear and readable by all — it translates into whatever language the reader needs. It is impossible to get lost in Helpful, the city or the gardens, as someone will always show a visitor the way back to where they came from or the way forward to what they are seeking. Travelers may stay in free guest lodgings. Apprentices arrive to improve their crafts. Mayors and council members from other cities come to learn. The denizens of Helpful do not travel much themselves. They have much to do in their own city, but are happy to invite others in to learn wi...

Delicate flowers bloom in the Sympathy meadows throughout the year: purple buds, white trumpets, yellow daisies, and pink asters. Soft sun shines. Misty rains fall. Deer browse. Rabbits nibble. Sheep graze. Songbirds sing softly: a red wing, a blue head. Streams trickle. Fairies play their instruments. People ascend the hills. They grow flowers, arrange bouquets, and tend trails. They harvest peaches, apricots, apples, cherries, and nectarines. Ivy climbs their cottages in winter with red berries and royal purple blooms. Visitors come to rest, recover, and eat fruit pies baked in Sympathy, warm, comforting, and delicious.

The views of Contemplation inspire peace. Contemplation rests on one of the largest islands of Inadequacy. It has more technological resources and contact with the outside world. Its libraries and computers are available and free to all. Reporters, researchers, and communication professionals live here. It’s home to a monastery where the Monks of Contemplation live and others come for meditation retreats. Blankets and incense burners decorate the Caves of Contemplation overlooking the shore. Music fills the caves. Bells chime. Monks and yogis serve as libraries bringing peace of mind as well to those who seek information. Emotion 365: Every Day a New Land of Emotion

The island chain Inadequacy lies in a rocky sea. Cold winds. High waves. Small ships rock through the channel. Tourists flock to the islands: nearby, secluded, and inexpensive. They find disappointment. They walk the bluffs overlooking the sea. Tourists unpack their beds in tiny cabins in the brown grasslands. Caretakers bring them tea upon arrival. They live in simple villages raising families and living off root vegetables, mostly potatoes. Marketers promote the islands taking pictures of them on partially sunny days. The islands never look like their posters in real life and there is not much to do but take walks along the shore, drink in pubs, listen to flute music, birdwatch, and contemplate life i.e. “What if you had chosen a better location for your vacation?” The Project: What is Emotion 365? 

Peevish lies, slick wet and bubbling gases, at the entrance to the underground river Livid. The mud bubbles pop and billow green and red gases mix into black. Mud people serve the toads. They warn outsiders away with shrieks and growls. They worship their toad gods and grow fat reddish-green worms to feed them. They live in domed mud huts made of a material imported from another land. At leisure, the mud people express intelligent and sophisticated natures. They think themselves better than others, but worship the toads. "We exist only to serve the toads," they say. No one wishes to visit Peevish, but many roads lead there and the mud creatures lure travelers in. They distract them with idle talk while pickpocketing their treasures and send travelers to the toads to be berated (which the toads enjoy). "Be wary," the Guide says. "If you are not careful to conduct yourself with respect and deference, the Livid will kill you, make a mash of your corpse,...

Mary Shelley Taste: vinegar Sound: bleating; howling wind "whoooo!"; goats nomming; bleating; " if I ruled the world " MILCK and " Gold " Smell:  goat fur Sight: deer legs-bambi pose; cat on a lap Touch: four pounds Extra:  a dream with Rob in the ideal gaming rooms custom made; contemplating stealing a bottle of bright orange turmeric, "we seek inspiration from those not here"; feeling like a sheep on a leash; "The connection is there—our blood is connected with the sea. It's the recognition of that connection. It's the sense that we are absolutely, intimately connected with every living thing." — W. S. Merwin Grateful for: bat robes; indoors and outdoors; Sam and Mary Shelley

The underground river Livid roils with slimy rock reddish green with mold. Toads live here in the moist or heat basking on rocks and eating the hatchlings of livid flies. No one wants to visit Livid, but when the gases rise or descend down wells people become curious. They stumble upon the entrance, inhale the fumes, and turn into toads. “Breathe slowly. Keep your senses about you or you will never find your way out,” the Guide advises. “You’ll be trapped in the form of a red-green livid toad forever.” The toads do not converse with other lands. They remain apart, but peevishly hate being ignored and kept out of councils. The Project: What is Emotion 365?