A still life that will not stay still
drag a thing back onto the table · catch one as it falls · hold the pointer over what the cat wants, and it waits · press and hold on the cat to stroke it · set a thing on its head · carry the glass low along the table, and the cat chases the wine's light · hold the pointer still a while, and it blinks at you · turn the sound on to hear what lands
A Dutch still life by candlelight: a pewter jug, a glass of wine, grapes, a pear, a pomegranate, a lemon, and the one candle that lights them all. Then two eyes come up over the back of the table. The cat looks the picture over and takes it apart, one thing at a time, cheapest first: a tap, a glance at you, another tap, and at the edge it holds your eye through one slow push and cranes to watch the fall. Each thing gets its own treatment. The lemon is sniffed once and swatted. The pear rolls the length of the table and stops short, to the cat's disgust. The grapes go off singly, with a look after each. The wine is tasted first, and regretted. The jug will not move for a paw, so the cat turns round and backs into it. Sometimes the last push is a fake, and the real one comes when you look away. The title under the picture lists what is still on the table, so it gets shorter as you watch, and the label below it keeps the medium and the state of the panel up to date. The candle is saved for last; when it goes over, the room goes dark but for two eyes, and the table is set again. You can stop it. Drag a thing back onto the table and the cat watches you do it. Hold your hand over what it wants and it washes a paw as if nothing were happening, until you leave. Stroke it and it forgets what it was doing. Defend the table well enough and it gives up, lies down among what you saved, and sleeps.