aunt elsa lee

there is a watercolor of two irises.

it is done on a rectangle of paper.

thick paper, textured and bubbled, supple but not fragile.

it is about the size of a playing card.

a little shorter and a little wider.

none of the sides are quite straight.

there is a penciled line flirting with the left edge.

the irises are different colors.

one is yellow and orange.

muted canary and goldenrod and burnt apricot

and glowing tiger.

more scientific and lacy than picasso.

the second one is blue.

crested with periwinkle and a chalky cobalt, then spreading into orchid.

flower bleeds into leaves and stems

twirling like seaweed, slow motion like a mermaid’s hair.

she signed it.

the black is startling against the pastel and cream

and the never erased pencil etchings.

it was done with a pen,

harsh and quick, lifting sharply at the end.