Naked Man in my Back Yard

He looks at home in the warm weather among the flowers. Friends and I deck him out with ribbons at Midsummer to reign as the Summer Lord. He looks a little less happy in winter. He’s anatomically correct under the fig leaf, but tiny – it does get cold here.

He is a fountain – NO, not like that…there’s a fish near his foot that used to spout water. Kind of a boring fountain, and I have enough to do without maintaining a pond. So he just stands there. Given the fish, I think he’s supposed to be Poseidon or Neptune, though he has no trident. I could give him one, I guess. But as it is he serves for whatever deity is required.

He’s close to life-size. A wonderful garage-sale find! (The woman was moving and I got lots of neat stuff…) For a long time I found it slightly unnerving that he looks just like someone I used to know – not well, or in any kind of way particularly, just one of the regulars at the pagan fests. But I’d catch sight of the Naked Man and think What Is Whozit (can’t even remember his name) Doing in My Garden.

Just as well there are dense cedars planted along the side fence behind which there is a day-care now – wouldn’t want to traumatize the little ones.

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