Scrutinizing Winter
Rosemary bursts into spears
that bud paled flowerettes;
tan fan leaves descend
into ivy; brown fur balls dangle
by thin ribbons from leafless
limbs; ecru feathery dusters
wave in the breeze. I snip
a collection with the best-kept
secrets of preservation, watchful
for baby insects that might hide
inside abandoned honeycomb
of greyed lavender blooms
or behind webs on green-
turned-brown fern fronds, stiff
as mummies. I’m careful
with almost invisible needles
still protecting the last few petals
and flush fruit left behind –
squishy rose hips drying
like pink prunes. It doesn’t seem
peculiar to arrange my dormant
collection in a chipped blue vase
until the surprise bouquet, the purest
red and white roses are delivered from
a distant planet. My brother and his wife
sent them for consolation. Arranged
precisely in clear glass, they drink
summer into perpetuity. I thought
flowers don’t compare themselves
to others, but these roses stare
at my dead pawns and me as if
we are terribly shabby and forlorn.
Face of Winter Foliage
ink drawing / digital photomontage
Recipe for the drawing:
I drew the face using a black artist ink pen with a thick and soft tip. I decided to scan the drawing, and see what could be done with the background in Photoshop Elements (the simplified and inexpensive version of Photoshop I recently purchased). I’ve always preferred to create collage by hand, but my intention for this year of residency at Randomly Accessed Poetics (hosted by Penhead Press) is to experiment in different art processes. I accidentally discovered a color stock photo of leaves provided in Elements and imported that into a bottom layer below the ink drawing. In the spirit of experimentation, I goofed around. Photoshop has a handy “revert to last saved version” feature. I found that converting both layers to sepia unified the drawing both visually and conceptually.
Copyright © 2015 by Carrie Albert
