The Princess, the King, and the Jester

Illustration © D. Yael Bernhard

Here are several illustrations that were commissioned for a collection of poems titled Jester: A Little Book of Ageless Sayings, written by Wayne Cochran in 2021. Wayne is a personal friend of mine who has collected a few of my paintings and commissioned several illustrations. We have a lively correspondence in which he shares his drafts of poetry and other musings on both Jewish and Christian teachings – for he is “both a religious Jew and an honorable Unitarian Universalist.” Truly a wordsmith, Wayne is sensitive to every line break, every turn of phrase – as well as the effect of his words on his readers. In Jester, he created three characters – the King, the Princess, and the Jester – to represent archetypal human attributes.

The King’s role is that of not only ruler, but teacher. His verses are full of pithy phrases about how to win arguments (without raising your voice, or an army); how to be a good orator; and how to recognize and honor your true inheritance. For example, the King’s verses include:

A king’s greatest asset is not his treasury, but his discernment.

The sword swears fealty to the war, not to the king.

People are not arithmetic problems. Therefore, do not sum them up.

Then there is the Princess, shown at the top of this post. Within this imaginary moral universe, it is she who manifests a healing, feminine role. Build gates in your fences, she teaches us, reminding us to allow for openings in our borders and beliefs. The Princess also teaches:

The miracle of the eyes
is that they are guided by the seeing heart
to even greater wonders.

These illustrations called for an element of humor, and though the poems are meant for adults, just as in books such as Alice In Wonderland and The Little Prince, I felt it would serve well to bring in some child appeal. I also wanted them to resemble playing cards. I tried to be playful: the Princess’s hair becomes fluffy sunset clouds, and the wrought-iron gate contains a question mark. Her body position and roving eye also have a comical edge.

And here is the Jester, juggling a nonsensical assortment of objects. The King’s fool advises his master, “Sire, it’s not just what you say, it’s how you say it . . . By second nature before speaking, consider timing, tenor and relevance.” Says the author of this character: “The Jester became the wise part of the King . . . eventually” – while remaining mostly silent. The Princess is quite fond of Jester, her childhood friend who acts as a soundboard for her musings and a departure point for her maturation into a woman. “Cleave to God when you cleave to your prince,” Jester advises her. He also advises the author himself: “Your very colorful speech may cause inflammation of the Queen’s ears!”

Jester was a fun project and an opportunity to do something different. I enjoyed working with Wayne. The book is published by the author, and is available for $8 plus postage. Contact him directly at waynencochran@gmail.com for more information.

A good week to all!

D Yael Bernhard

http://dyaelbernhard.com

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