Last night I defined "lust" for Griffin as really, really, really wanting something. This morning I contemplated whether there was anything I'm lusting after right now, and how I would show lust. For me, the word is sultry, textured, full of deep reds and blacks. My thoughts turned first to cliché lace lingerie and bordello lighting, and then to pomegranates and velvet - a lusciously colored fruit, a sumptuous fabric.
As a teenager, I was fascinated by the story of Persephone. Hades' covetousness, the maiden's yielding to her craving for the fruit, which would later condemn her to spending one season of every year in the underworld. Pomegranates also appear in Christina Rosetti's sensual poem, The Goblin Market.
I feel tempted by pomegranates but never buy more than one per winter. They seem like an indulgence to entertain in private, and infrequently. Or maybe I'm afraid we won't be released from the netherworld of winter if I allow myself to indulge more?
Griffin's lustful thoughts turned to sweets. Taste is so integral to desire! Sucking on a hard candy provides such primal gratification, doesn't it? Inspired by my "distraction" self-portrait, he envisioned himself as a ghostly being, stealing away with a lollipop. He sketched his concept and directed my photography, specifying a slow shutter speed, tripod use, and how to frame the picture. I asked questions about his expectations and coached him on how to achieve the look he desired.
He got just what he wanted. I hope you do, too. What are you lusting after?
