Furman S. Baldwin, Il Bacio "The Kiss" (1947)

Heaven and Hell Heaven and hell are not angels singing above fire & brimstones below. They're states of mind we experience— Being accepted is heaven. Being rejected is hell. A picture is worth a thousand words. Furman Baldwin's Il Bacio "The Kiss" is one of my all-time favorite photos— The two-year-old boy sits on the stoops between two girls similar in age like "The Lover" Tarot card image. He turns to his right to kiss the girl and they're happy while the girl at left is mad with rage in being left out. The girl at left is unkempt— her dress rumpled, socks uneven, all her fingers stretched outward senses pointed to the physical much like the five foolish virgins— no wonder she's experiencing hell. The girl at right is tidy— her dress smooth, her socks even, her fingers encircled inward mind focused to the spiritual like Einstein's mudra & Buddha's— no wonder she is in heaven.     Peter Y. Chou     Mountain View, 2-28-2017