The Unicorn that Wanted to be Seen
(past promises series)
this series, posted weekly on Fridays, brings you poems, stories & art by a younger shannon. today’s is from February 1981, at the age of 11, when I lived in either The Big House or The Little House in Rogers, Arkansas. we had 4 homes over the span of ~8 months, after moving from Texas (away from dad & brother), so I’m not sure which of two this might have been.
the material itself is stunningly accurate to my lifelong ambivalence around being seen, but I’ll save that for a piece I’m working on about this project as a whole. enjoy!
In the Middle Ages people wondered if there really was a unicorn. One day an old man opened the window of his house and a Unicorn was standing there. He let the Unicorn in and the Unicorn was very surprised because had gone to every house but no one would let him in because nobody noticed him.
Later that night the man and the Unicorn were eating and the town-crier was yelling that the duke was getting married and everyone was to come to the wedding in two weeks.
The next morning the old man and the Unicorn went to the village. No one even noticed the Unicorn.
The Unicorn was very angry. But, later that day he was passing a fountain and he dipped his horn into the water and made it taste pure and sweet. A group of passing girls and boys were thirsty so they got a drink at the fountain and they were saying how good it was. Then the Unicorn was happy again.
Later when the man was in the village the mayor told him that the duke wanted him to make a new water vessel. So the old man said that he would do it.
The Unicorn told him how he could make the water pure and sweet, so the old man made a statue of the Unicorn and used it for the water vessel.
The Unicorn and the old man went to the wedding the next day and everyone noticed the Unicorn.
After the man heard the people that they saw the Unicorn, he turned to where the Unicorn was standing but he wasn't there. No one ever saw the unicorn, again. Yet, today his image is still with us.
(all words, video & images in this post by shannon)
