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a quarter mile

of CROWS

 

A morning exploring an ice cave brought my cousin and me to the great river - everything always leads to the great river in this country - where an abandoned train trestle, built in 1902, laced a stark matrix of expansion against snow flurries stretching over colorless waters reflecting only the chill in the air.

 

I climb up on the bridge. Camera ready. And then just stood there, awed speechless.

 

Crows were gathering at the other end of the bridge about a quarter mile away on the other side of the Columbia River. They cawed and kackled, landing with abrupt antics. And despite the increasing number of these black feathered spectacles, there was one that remained alone, standing apart from the others ... a murder of crows in council.  Image: from a photo of that quarter mile view. I made several graphic studies of this old bridge, including the cover art for Where Image Abides. See a detail showing crows on bridge.

 

Image: Beverly Bridge on the Columba River, WA

Council of Crows,the poem, pg 274 of Corpus Omphalos and Where Image Abides

 

of OWLS

 

An afternoon of meandering along a rocky coastline beach, busy getting photo-shots of anything that caught my eye, especially interested in capturing mossy branches, gifted another unexpected bonus. Reviewing photographs later that evening, I discovered a Spotted Owl in the distant trees who appeared to have spotted me. Again, I was approximately a quarter mile from the trees where the owl is perched on a mossy branch. A graphic study for an oil painting on canvas of the Spotted Owl is in the published 2012 collection.

 

Image: No, this isn't that quarter mile view. I wanted you to see the owl.

Crone of Allies,the poem, pg 94 of Corpus Omphalos and Where Image Abides

 

curious

of 108

 

A pothos vine volunteered in my front yard. An Epipremnum aureum. I certainly babied my new friend and later scanned clippings and made digital graphics with them featuring this plant’s characteristics; these graphics illustrate the e-book edition on CD of my 2002 collection of poetry and art: One God Per Pot. Some selections from this collection are in the Corpus Omphalos 2012 collection including a pothos illustrated poem, Sitting, placed at a particular location in the manuscript: page 108.

 

The number 108, in this instance, reflects a "kung", a measure of accomplishment. This vining plant is native to the Old World tropics, now commonly used as a house plant everywhere, has certain poisonous and beneficiary qualities, and 'this' one sprang-up outside in the US southwest Sonora Desert.

 

Image: CD face of e-book poetry and art collection, One God Per Pot

Sitting,the graphic poem, pg 108 of Corpus Omphalos and Where Image Abides

 

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