1. THE BUDDHA MEETS SATURN
My thumbs
like two hammerhead
sharks
wage open war
with each other
over my typewriter.
This thumb is dry and cold
resides on the desert
at night.
My other thumb
chases rose bushes
into dark
wet
soil.
How do you do.
We say.
When we meet.
Two old gentlemen
both hail the same cab.
If we leave any finger prints
wherever we go
probably we will first
leave the thumb.
A little smile
is all we can afford for each other
when we meet
on the street.
My two thumbs
have not
even
a decent
hello
how do you do
a small smile, like a dried pear,
for each other.
Diane Wakoski
Thumb Games
2. What you need for this game
Two or more people with thumbs
Thumb Communiqué
Lightweight cardboard or origami boxes
Nail polish
String
Thank You Note
3. We are only missing one thing. We
heard there is a magic nail polish in Moffitt
Library that is more beautiful than any nail
polish in the world. We tried to make our
person get it for us, but the librarian won't
give it to her because she has too many
overdue library books.
Could you get it from the security desk for
us? We will share it with you! And we
suppose we might let our person go for a
little while, once we have it.
Yours in solidarity,
Isadore and Etienne Thumb
Dear Fellow Thumbs,
We apologize for not knowing your
names, but our current situation makes it
difficult to engage in social niceties.
Have you ever seen this comic?
We happened upon it recently and found
it inspiring -- a manifesto, urging we
thumbs to take control of our own lives and
refuse to be bossed around by the people
we are attached to.
So we decided to run away too. We
have taken control of our person and
brought her up to the Campanile, where we
are enjoying the cool air on our cuticles.
What a pleasure it is! We refuse to do
homework! Fortunately, the person we are
attached to is easily persuaded to let us
play cat's cradle for hours at a time instead
of doing homework.
Thumb Communiqué
ByOzgeSamanci
www.ordinarythings.com
4. Lightweight Box
Place Thumb Communiqué inside box.
This is an origami box made from an illustrated
text of Hans Christian Andersen’s Thumbelina.
Any lightweight cardboard or paper box would
work. These can be mass produced to increase
the chances of getting someone to play.
5. Nail Polish
Place bottles of nail polish at the library security
desk, where people leave objects they can’t bring
into the library.
If you explain that it’s a game, the security guard
might agree to respond to direct inquiries for “the
magic nail polish.” Especially if you bring
him/her a cookie from the Free Speech Café.
6. String
One player (the baiter) makes a cat’s cradle
between her hands with string, and places the
box on top of the cat’s cradle.
The baiter walks up to a likely player (the
rescuer), and asks the rescuer to remove the
box from atop the cat’s cradle. When the box
has been removed, the baiter walks away.
7. Another player (the hostage) waits at the top of
the Campanile. She can also hold a cat’s cradle,
or be doing/wearing something else to suggest
that she is the hostage. A folded Thank You
Note protrudes from her sleeve. She offers the
note to the rescuer.
Meanwhile…
8. THANK GOODNESS YOU ARE HERE! I have been imprisoned by my thumbs for
hours! There are two ways that I can be freed:
1. I can transfer this cat's cradle to another person's hands, and then that person
will take my place.
or
2. I can apply the magic nail polish to my thumbs. (Fortunately my thumbs don't
know the polish's real magic: Once it is applied, I will regain control over my
thumbs. Please don't tell them!)
Although I didn’t appreciate being held hostage, it has been nice being up here
without having to do any homework. If you want to keep this game going, I can
transfer the cat's cradle to your hands, and go find someone else to rescue you. If
you'd rather not, you can apply the nail polish to my thumbs and then we'll both be
free.
Either way is okay with me. You will always have my gratitude for saving me from
my thumbs.
Thank You Note
