Wednesday, July 3, 2024

Steven Ross Smith & Phil Hall : On The Green Rose

 



 

new growing season / June 2024

 

Roses generally take 4 to 10 weeks (28 to 70 days) for re-blooming to occur.

Roses having a lot of petals take longer to re-bloom than roses with only a few petals.

That sounds about right—about wrong—about light—about song...

True green roses are exceptionally rare in the natural world & are often the result of careful breeding or natural mutations.

Ours was natural—tropic—non-factual—no topics...

The green colour in roses is not typically vibrant but rather understated with hues ranging from light pistachio to deeper olive tones.

I think we said that—you said that—I said that—you said that—I said that...

The rarest colour for a rose is the Blue Rose—it is very difficult to mine—it’s not mine!

Ah, but our green is spare—composed on a back & forth—two long threads braided...

Why is it green? Who ever heard? What does it mean—the un-notarized word?

This cannot be blamed on low PH (candle blown out)—he carries limestone in his head.

And SRS (Steven Rose Smith) is neither acidic nor basic—well perhaps basic.

Originally known as rosa chinesis viridifloraThe Green Rose’s uniqueness stems from its lack of true petals.

The Green Rose first made its appearance as early as 1743—SRS & PH were much older then.

This flower arouses genuine interest in people because it is a common novelty.

Roses do best when they are protected from the hot afternoon sun—parasols open!

We wrote mornings.

Then the weathers of the two strands weren’t the same anymore—Victoria BC / Costa Rica.

The first collaborative exchange occurs when the poet’s being—senses / mind /feeling / body / movement and locus—stirs—& language quivers—or vice versa.

Perhaps the oddest rose in existence—it is classified as a Hybrid China & appropriately known as The Green Rose—the incomparable China Green Rose.

Now Rosarians must recognize the Smith-Hall Green. Or ignore it. Either way...

Green-hued roses have historically represented fertility / growth / nature's abundance.

They also represented bounty / goodwill / success in business & romantic relationships—& even jealousy.

Rooted—yes—but all to be found above/ground—our title came from a shard of crockery washed up on the beach: a green rose visible on it.

Few other green hued roses have ever matched the uniqueness & interest of The Green Rose
(says one Anonymous (horti)cultural reviewer).

The Green Rose is a “love it or hate it” kind of rose.

A shared (shard) meditation on poetics grew past us—as Other—uncalculated—uncultivated.

Language speaks for itself.

Once in a blue moon (green moon) the rose might produce a seed pod—you ought to get something from the seed other than another green rose.

On the other hand / then on the other hand / & now handing off…

 

PH / SRS

 

 

 

 

Phil Hall is a founding member of the Canadian Sweater Poets (CSP). Latest book: Vallejo’s Marrow (Beautiful Outlaw Press, 2024). Forthcoming from Lake’s End Press: mould/Soil (in collaboration with Chris Turnbull). He lives near Perth Ontario.

 

 

 

Steven Ross Smith, Banff Poet Laureate, 2018-21, loves music, and beach and forest walks. His seven-book poetic series fluttertongue has created a notable body of work and Book 3: disarray (Turnstone Press) was awarded Saskatchewan Book of the Year in 2005. Pliny’s Knickers, a collaboration was given the bpNichol Chapbook Award in 2006. His fourteenth book is Glimmer: Short Fictions, (Radiant Press, 2022.) Most recent is The Green Rose, a chapbook collaboration with Phil Hall (above/ground press, 2024). Smith lives and writes in Victoria, BC. Find him at stevenrosssmith@me.com &/or www.fluttertongue.ca
 

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