companion [illustrated]
My friend, Diane T. Sands, is a "a naturalist, cartoonist, librarian, and free-lance scientific illustrator, who also uses the sketchbook as a medium for recording the natural movements of the world around her." She is also the California president of Guild of Natural Science Illustrators.
I woke up this groggy Monday morning (deep snow, all dark outside) and found, waiting in my gmail in-box, that she had drawn this illustration for me. I was so amazed by it I wanted to share it with all of you. What a wonderful way to start a week! Diane, your visions are amazing!
Does it bother anyone
in ballads when the dead
maid sings from the grave
after courtly love
and suicide:"with the long, green grass
growin' over me"?
And she is in
the grass
and she is
the grass
and that grass is in
my parent's
backyard.I planted fox fur
near its roots today
from a clutchful
of glorious red,
that with a tug,
came loose
in my hand,
tail and all,
from the scraps
on the highway.I had some scraps left
in my pocket. I bring
back bits of dead stuff
to feed to the grass
stems, as if grass eats;
as if a dead girl could use
a fox as a companion.
[please click on image for closer view]