Inspiration for the Iris Collection...

In Her Green Dress, She Is 

By Sujata Bhatt 
(1905) 

In her green dress, she is 
the background and the foreground - 

A green dress the colour 
of iris stems, 
the ones in the background - 

A green dress 
the colour of iris stems against grass - 

Green on green on green - 

She is the foreground 
and the background - 

Her face intent because 
she's listening to a bird in the distance - 
a single bird - persistent - 
calling again and again - 
Its song slit, cleft - 
rising and falling 
and rising again through the stillness. 
Its song clinging to the leaves - 
A melody 
that must have moved Bach - 

Her face intent because irises 
have flung themselves open in the heat: 
Blue petals arched like so many little blue tongues 
tasting the air - 

Those yellow hearts cannot hide anymore. 

Even the black stones, the oval shaped 
black stones of her necklace 
can see you 

It is June: Full of Humid Shadows, 
purple clouds - it will rain 
in an hour. The irises will sway 
in the wind - a few stems will 
get bent by the rain - broken - 
and her green dress will get drenched 
along with the grass 
where the stems will lie 
broken - 

But she will walk away 
laughing - she will walk slowly 
lingering in the green wetness