'Flesh Aflame'

Strong feelings about peaches and a self-portrait of sorts. There's some symbolism here, but that's for you (and me) to figure out in time. For now, I'll leave you with this:

One-of-one oil ink monotype in 10+ layers on  Legion Stonehenge 250 gsm paper with deckled edges. Signed and stamped by the artist.

Framed in bleached maple with archival float-mounting.

A Poem For Peaches

Some peaches surrender their flesh

Without a second thought -

Sweet, succulent bites pulled off the pit with ease.

My knife circumnavigates the equator

A twist of the wrist

And East parts with West.

Or, perhaps, a delicate, demure bite -

Front teeth gliding smoothly

Through skin and meat

Skillfully avoiding the central fissured stone.

Nary a drop spilled.

But, more often than not

Blade skitters against hardened core

Fingernails bruise stubborn softness

And the globe refuses to be split.

A more base approach is needed then.

Forget gentle partings -

Great hungry bites consume continents whole

While canines scrape against tectonic plates

Juice spills like blood and splatters the kitchen tile above the sink.

Rivulets run from wrist to elbow

And when the frenzy ends

The final drops drip off my chin.

I prefer the latter approach.

-Katya Stavisky Jackson