Saturday, September 17, 2016

In this bright room

Perspective. Things seen on-line are never the same as in person or perhaps "in plant." This is the same part of my family as the one that cataloged Minnesota birds. Of course "pictures" are themselves one step removed from the plant or bird.

In this bright room
I read the email
My brother sent
With detail
Of watercolor botanicals
In the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum,
Detailed portraits of plants
By great-aunt Emma
Step-great-grandmother Agnes Williams
So detailed
He says
Every rootlet is defined
As if painted
With a single-hair brush.
In this bright room
I am reminded
Of members of my family
I never knew.
I am told the plants
May be published
On-line
But still
They won’t be seen
The same
As that rootlet painted
With a fine-hair brush.

No comments:

Post a Comment