Jenny Isaacs
Anser caerulescens (Snow Goose)
Inside "the jewel of Atlantic City"
the mirrors captured us, quite out of place.
We lurched in infinite regressive lines,
expressions disconcertingly agog
in smoky glass. No doubt a new bellboy
had let a heavy baggage cart careen
to kiss its rapt reflection, leaving one
edged blemish in the polished glass: the shard
you brushed an outflung hand against, sustaining
a scratch, which bled a bit, and needed tending.
Returned to the northwest, you watched it heal,
if watching's what you'd call brief accidents
of observation—glimpse by glimpse, unbidden
moments of stop-motion animation.
It happens this way with small injuries:
our cells repair themselves invisibly,
driven ferociously to self-restore
by the ungoverned engines of the body.
One day we think to look, and find ourselves
holding our memories in scarless hands.
Atlantic City: snow geese, white, in flight,
arrowed between the Hilton and the ocean.
Inside, you bent to light my cigarette,
hand cupping flame: a small, controlled explosion.
For Ben, Who Let My Daughter Cut His Hair
Neck bared to clippers, that's the start of it:
when someone dips his chin and bows his head,
he's saying he's a goner. He'll submit
to anything. He's praying grace instead
of paying for it, goes forth with a bowl
yet not a mendicant—a martial man:
one prone to vows, a seeker of the whole
and holy, one of those who understand
that silence is an absence and a presence;
that we do, truly, have a god's-eye view;
that we can come to harm, and cause it—essence
of incarnation. What else can we do?
Lean into the razor, take a breath.
Hair falls like feathers, soft and black as death.
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
 |
| Avila Gray is a self-taught illustrator, specialising in fine ink pen and watercolour paintings. Avi is based in Sydney, Australia, where she operates a stationery business called Erlenmeyer, selling art prints, greeting cards, playing cards, stickers and colouring books. Erlenmeyer is also the name of Avi's storytelling animal kingdom; a futuristic utopia where sentient creatures live in harmony across 12 cities on Earth. All of the compositions from her illustrative range depict snapshots from this story; her body of work shows the animal characters that colour the Erlenmeyer world, as well as their culture, values and how they live. Avi has been selling her illustrations and products since 2014 and became a resident at Australia’s iconic Rocks Market for many years, developing a loyal customer base and social media following. After several years of trade shows in Sydney and London, her designs can now be found in more than 80 shops worldwide. Many of Avi's designs are licensed by the international greeting card company, Moonpig.
For additional information, please visit www.erlenmeyer.com.au.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
