 |
Dwarf Pomegranate
charcoal, colored pencil
12-01-12 |
It is snowing here. After making a few errands this morning, I went to the greenhouses and was stopped by the Dwarf Pomegranate plant in the first house I entered. The Dwarf Pomegranate plant is not much to look at: stiff, spindly twigs and narrow bundled leaves sticking out at right angles to the gray bark. It's only 2-3 feet tall and wan looking in a slightly feral way. The plant is small. However, the fruit is not. There was one magnificent pomegranate weighing down one side of the bush. It was a deep crimson color and looked hard and almost ripe. There it is, a very daring thing waiting to be picked.
The Greek goddess Persephone, her lips stained crimson from just eating six pomegranate seeds, was condemned to wed Hades and spend six months in the Underworld at her husband's side. Her mother, grief-stricken Demeter, goddess of the Harvest, then and forever wanders the sere winter world pining for the Spring day when she will be reunited with her daughter. This is a tragic myth that explains the seasons but I like to think that the lovely pomegranate (lovely to gaze upon and to taste) offers a small taste of Heaven at any time of year.
Mmmmmmmm Love scarlet pomegranets a treasure on a winters day,
ReplyDeleteI like the sight and idea of pomegranates almost more than actually eating them. Especially on a gray winter day.
ReplyDelete