“Ferry Building Gallery Renovation” Phone Photo, DS
At first, I did a bit of word play. I tried on the idea of calling this blog series ‘Posies Life Collection’ like each post would be a kind of bouquet for the reader (noun, plural po·sies).
- a flower, nosegay, or bouquet.
- Archaic. a brief motto or the like, as one inscribed within a ring.)
Years ago, I painted a large self-portrait of a girl standing in her back yard with argyle-style grass. She wore one of my favourite childhood dresses, white, smocked, with tiny turquoise, pink, violet, diamond shapes all over. In her hand she held a posy of sweet peas; her gift to the world. Perhaps these posts are like sweet peas, small, fragrant, pale pink and aubergine, with green leaves and swirls going upward to the light.
Then I came across the word, poiesis, the blooming of a blossom. These words from my experience and from others would convey the hope of blooming, even of planting seeds of hope to bloom later in this time of post pandemic. Yes, my poems are what I have to offer the world, the poieses (meaning: production, formation) of my life collected here.
Van Gogh’s Chair
Van Gogh’s booked chair so
Rare in bedrooms now
France their home or
As remembered somehow not
European perhaps spread
Indeed to Scotland
Chair of childhood
Actually a stool beige
Thatched no green
Growing with me
Seen fire front
Warming chilblained
Ten year kilted legs
Thinking of better
Days now here and
Almost gone
Artist’s seat thinking
Symbolled by colour
And beauty
Doppelganger
Earless and old
Sits with me as
I paint
The existence of both.
Pink Bird Writing 