“My Silver Bracelet”
I found my silver bracelet inside an old adobe house in Taos Pueblo. It was a cold and snowy day in early March. I had stopped at the Pueblo because it was too windy to go skiing at Taos Ski Valley. The air was biting cold and small sharp snowflakes stung my face. I walked amongst the old pueblo houses stacked upon each other like toys – ladders leaning against the flat roofs. The incense-like smell of pinon wood burning tickled my nostrils and reminded me of going to early morning mass when I was a child. A pack of mangy dogs trailed after me hoping for food. They turned on each other and fought in the mud and sleet.
I opened the turquoise door to a room housing the wares of a jeweler. The interior of the room was small and lit with underpowered light bulbs. The darkness of the day was relieved by a small fire burning in the kiva fireplace. The Tiwa Indian silversmith was an austere man – thin and weather beaten with dark hair shot thru with gray – it was pulled back into a pony tail. He had beautiful hands. I saw the bracelet that he had made with those hands and knew I would buy it. To remind me of what is important in life – simplicity, beauty and the importance of respecting yourself. He had these qualities.
Twenty years later, I have not tired of the bracelet I bought that day. The silver takes on my body heat and feels such a part of me. I wear the bracelet whenever I create my art or write. It has become a talisman of creativity for me – a ritual part of my artist persona. If I had to choose just one piece of jewelry to last the rest of my life, this silver bracelet would be my choice.
Suzanne Elliott
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