Tag Archives: ink

Day 29 — ink + stamps

I actually found some of these today in a totally unexpected location which was a really big thrill. So it seemed appropriate/a sign from the underneath ones to poemify this species today (they were on my list [along with so many other wonderful fungi I haven’t yet gotten to] so it wasn’t a particularly difficult decision).

The Poetic Factoid grew out of one of the things I learnt about SICs today — philately & fungi. Which for a time led me down a very odd yet pleasant, little rabbit hole.

It’s not as pretty as some photos, but I took it myself so I’m happy. You can already see the inkification around the skirts of each mushroom.

*****

fungilegium: Shaggy Ink Cap
Coprinus comatus

Shaggy Ink Cap. Shaggy Mane. Lawyer’s Wig.
Pretty like a ballroom gown. But quickly. Turns 
into. A Tim Burton movie. Melts black. Dissolves.
It’s eating itself. Basically. Looks like it’s bleeding.
Witches hat. Deliquescence. Another beautiful word.

Lawn dwellers. Or where earth has been disturbed.
Tough enough. To push through asphalt. Allegedly.
On an Aussie stamp. Back when they were only 35c.
(Also; Maldives, Togo, Spain, Mongolia, Belarus, etc.)* 
So named. Cos back in the day. Really were used as ink.

* PLUS Angola. Argentina. Botswana. Bulgaria. Cambodia. Central African Republic. Chad. Channel Islands (Jersey). Comoro Islands. Cuba. Dominica. Georgia. Ghana. Grenada, Carriacou & Petite Martinique. Guyana. Iceland. Isle of Man. Korea, North. Korea, South. Laos. Liberia. Malawi. Mali. Mexico. {}. Mordovia. Netherlands. Niger. Pakistan. Romania. Russia. Rwanda. Sao Tome & Principe. Sierra Leone. Singapore. Somalia. St Kitts-Nevis. St Thomas & Prince Islands. St Vincent. Sweden. Tajikistan. Tanzania. Not to forget, Tuvalu. (& possibly others I’ve missed)

*****

Day 29 Factoid Overload — There’s Weird & Utterly Wonderful Folks Who Collect Combinations of All Sorts of Things

fungi philately

TIL : there’s a subgroup : of collectors : who solely collect : stamps : depicting mushrooms : (& other fungi) : because : of course they do : & i think this : whacky nicheness : is wonderful : fly agaric : porcini : & golden chanterelle : the most popular mushrooms : on stamps : worldwide : there’s even a book : because : of course there is : Philatelic Mycology: Families of Fungi : which defies philatelistic tradition & protocol : for : instead of organisation : by country of origin : then date of issue : [logical, sensible, proper] : in this quirky book : that knows its audience : all too well :  exactly 1,000 international stamps : are organised : by : taxonomic family : shroom! : take that : regular stamp collecting dudes

Day 23 – poem about idols

shakespeare_by_lastfirstkiss CROP

Unexpectedly found myself grapepicking for a few hours yesterday. Oddly, it’s not as much fun as I remember it (& I don’t remember it being any fun at all). All of which point to the fact that I was bone-tired & sore when I got home last night, & although the pome had been written, WordPress was as slow & creaky as I was, & so when midnight ticked over I thought, stuff it, I’ll just have a wee nap & post it early in the am (when I invariably wake up & wonder why I’m not sleeping). This did not happen. I slept very well.

Then most of today was spent writing & researching, until I’m now under the pump to get two NaPoWriMo posts up before midnight. Oh irony, your name is Alanis.

idolatry

i.
everyone thinks
they know you
despite how little
anyone does
just make it up
facts don’t matter
only selling
outrageous lies
books to fuel
the author’s
insecurities

ii.
still no idea
what you’ve
done to me
carved
your name
in my skin
tattooed it
acid-inked
above my heart
the shadow
i am always
under