A little film - in reverse

Many years ago I went on a behind the scenes tour of a small museum
As part of the tour I was shown a handmade book
It was a study of Australian birds 
Someone had made it to record a trip they had made there
In a time before photography when enjoying the beautiful wildlife 
generally meant killing it with a gun and stuffing it when you got home

The book was heavy
The book glowed with the feel of the author and illustrator 
who were one and the same

Their feelings for the birds
and 
for the book 
filled my eyes and finger tips
as I held it

It contrasted so clearly with the mass produced
identically made things
I find myself accidentally buying online

Around the same time of the museum tour 
experts were busy explaining that ebooks and kindle would be the death of printed books

Holding this book was special

So I smiled to myself when I recently held a truly unique book
that glows

I sent a copy of my book It Started With The Starlings
to someone I did not know
who I had met briefly 
online
who kept it for a week 
and added whatever they wanted to it
then sent it to someone else
who did the same
eventually 
my book made it back to me
full 
of 
paintings
new words
embroidery
prints
collages
and more

It is not the same as holding the book
but here is
a very short film
showing this book
after and before 
as the contribution of each person fades
to remind me what I would missed 
if I had not bothered
and 
had not trusted some strangers 
who I met 
online