Breakfast and the paper. A surprise joy in watching Jadah’s ears at work at the front window now that the windows are up so she can better hear the outside sounds. Amazing dexterity in ear muscles. Swivels, such a variety.
Cat behavior is most interesting. Obviously the auditory circuits have a lot going on and work whether needed or not. She has her usual supplies of food and water but her ears hunt nevertheless. She is being who she still is, a short-haired long ago desert cat domesticated. She poses regally like a statue of an Egyptian cat goddess. We do adore her, but worship, no. I wonder what the ancients thought of those snake-like fangs? Nails and fangs would make short order of smaller critters. Sometimes evil and alien are dressed with cat eyes – where does that come from originally? Who decided to make that up first? Why does the image still live on? Perhaps our species depends too much on sight and not enough on sound, or perhaps too much on both and not enough on touch, which is more intimate in its nature than sight or sound. To pet a cat, now for me, it is a wonderfully calming experience. The sound of purring is a positive one, and this can take place on the darkest of nights with sight completely unattended.
Touch is a misused sense with multiple word meanings. You might wonder why that is as you are in a wondering mood.
For this I go to M-W.
**
1 Touch:
Verb Middle English, from Anglo-French tucher, tuchier, from Vulgar Latin *toccare to knock, strike a bell, touch, probably of imitative origin 14th century transitive verb
1 : to bring a bodily part into contact with especially so as to perceive
through the tactile sense : handle or feel gently usually with the intent to understand or appreciate; loved to touch the soft silk;
2 : to strike or push lightly especially with the hand or foot or an implement
3 : to lay hands upon (one afflicted with scrofula) with intent to heal
4 archaic a : to play on (a stringed instrument)
b : to perform (a melody) by playing or singing
5 a : to take into the hands or mouth; never touches alcohol;
b : to put hands upon in any way or degree; don't touch anything before the police come; especially : to commit violence upon; swears he never touched the child;
6 : to deal with : become involved with; a sticky situation and I wouldn't touch it with a 10-foot pole;
7 : to induce to give or lend; touched him for ten dollars;
8 : to cause to be briefly in contact or conjunction with something; touched her spurs to the horse; touched his hand to his hat;
9 a (1) : to meet without overlapping or penetrating : ADJOIN (2) : to get to : REACH; the speedometer needle touched 80;
b : to be tangent to c :to rival in quality or value; nothing can touch that cloth for durability;
10 : to speak or tell of especially in passing; barely touched the incident in the speech;
11 a : to relate to : CONCERN b : to have an influence on : AFFECT 12 a : to leave a mark or impression on; few reagents will touch gold; also : TINGE b : to harm slightly by or as if by contact : TAINT, BLEMISH; fruit touched by frost; c : to give a delicate tint, line, or expression to; a smile touched her lips; d : to get a hit off or score a run against; touched him for three runs:
13. to draw or delineate with light strokes
14 a : to hurt the feelings of : WOUND b : to move to sympathetic feeling intransitive verb 1 a : to feel something with a body part (as the hand or foot) b : to lay hand or finger on a person to cure disease (as scrofula) 2 : to be in contact 3 : to come close : VERGE; your actions touch on treason; 4 : to have a bearing : RELATE used with on or upon 5 a : to make a brief or incidental stop on shore during a trip by water; touched at several ports; b : to treat a topic in a brief or casual manner; used with on or upon; touched upon many points
synonyms see AFFECT
** **
2 touch
noun 14th century
1 a : a light stroke, tap, or push b : a hit against an opponent in fencing
2 : the act or fact of touching; also : the act or an instance of handling or controlling a ball (as in basketball or soccer)
3 : the special sense by which pressure or traction exerted on the skin or mucous membrane is perceived
4 : mental or moral sensitiveness, responsiveness, or tact; has a wonderful touch with children;
5 : a specified sensation that arises in response to stimulation of the
tactile receptors : FEEL; the velvety touch of velour;
6 a archaic: the act of rubbing gold or silver on a touchstone to test its
quality
b : TEST, TRIAL; used chiefly in the phrase put to the touch
7 a : a visible effect : MARK; a touch of the tropical sun;
b : WEAKNESS, DEFECT
8 : something slight of its kind: as a : a light attack; a touch of fever;
b :a small quantity or indication : HINT; a touch of spring in the air;
c : a transient emotion; a momentary touch of compunction; d : a near approach : CLOSE CALL; beaten in the championships by a mere touch;
9 a archaic: the playing of an instrument (as a lute or piano) with the fingers; also: musical notes or strains so produced b : particular action of a keyboard with reference to the resistance of its keys to pressure; piano with a stiff touch;
10 : control of the hands: as a : a manner or method of touching or striking especially the keys of a keyboard instrument b : ability to precisely control the path and speed of a shot or pass; a great shooting touch;
11 : a set of changes in change ringing that is less than a peal
12 a : an effective and subtle detail; applies the finishing touches to the story; b : distinctive and often effective manner or method; the touch of a master; c : a characteristic or distinguishing trait or quality
13 slang: an act of soliciting or getting a gift or loan
From: Merriam-Webster 11th Collegiate Dictionary software.
** **
You have read through the two definitions several times and are amazed at the intentions.
Touch is a very powerful word. It pays to read the dictionary from time to time as it is a book that reflects who we are at a very human point.
Yes, words, unlike cats, reflect humanity at its most basic. Post. – Amorella.
After twenty-one hundred hours you fell into the living room chair and with more consideration than thought, came up with the first draft of scene seven of chapter seven. Drop it in here, then post. – Amorella.
Scene 7
Takis blinked twice and focused on granddaughter Gloama, once mother of the future of Earth’s humankind. His left hand reached up to touch the white turban, smiled silently and let his dark eyes do the speaking.
In the moment of quiet, Gloama’s eyes lifted to meet her grandfather’s for a prevailing understanding, a touch, tongue-less of words, is too intimate for either granddaughter or grandfather to admit. What kind of understanding begins as a taste in the mind to be quickly swallowed whole and chewed by heart’s unknowingly sharp teeth, then quickly un-digested, regurgitated from the heart as from a mother robin’s beak slamming down to a recently hatched open-mouthed chick resting in the soul’s nest of what will be. The eyed silence between Gloama and Takis weighed and considered consequences unthinkable by the Living.
Two soul’s exchanged and slid down feathering other’s nest. Each heart had tunneled to each mind and, as its once physical counterpart, developed valves and a beat, a rhythm of circulatory thought. Nothing stood between the two who began dead; who began as little less than air in the first place. Unknowable to either, the pump, the understanding, was already at work.
***
This is somewhat out of sink with expectations, I shall see where this goes and what it leads to. I do not know what this understanding between them is but I wonder that it is a seed mistaken later for original sin.
What words out of nowhere. You have a gift but no presence. – Amorella.
Worded well, Amorella. I can be wrapped and unwrapped both at once. My fingers alone appear touched. Such a ribbon of humor ties the bind of heartansoulanmind. The human DNA is charged with such unknowable and unspeakable things. Things only the individual cells can whisper to one another – secrets carried on to the Dead who can never know a hint of truth without the voice of the Living. That is what is coming up. I think the Dead may need the Living to survive the coming consequence, that’s the rule of measurement in book four.
Even spiked with thought you cannot overstep your bounds, boy. A shadow can do no more than follow its substance’s shape. Post, boy, and get a good night’s sleep. – Amorella.
My mind is full of theatre tonight. Such is my humor. It will not last until morning. It is so good to write. It fills me with passion. - rho
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