Posted on by Ruisi

Working on a new WIP, but here’s a practice oil painting that I did fairly recently! Funnily enough, I only realized how much I like painting flowers by looking through my old pieces.

This work is one I’d pair with my poem “Empty Desk”:

A desk decorated bare but for a sea-green glass vase
filled with the two shiny stems of immortal flowers
and, sitting near, a small bottle of flower scented perfume.

Thus the flowers may live a day more
whilst the room remains.

Posted on by Ruisi

Combining Teacher Appreciation Week with Mother’s Day

It’s the last month before my classmates and I graduate from high school, and while testing season is ridiculously stressful, I also feel that I’ve had significantly more free time recently. I’ve had a lot more time to focus on my hobbies— it’s wonderful.

My teachers have been amazing throughout my years at my current school, and the same goes for those prior. Imagine: junior-year teachers have to write over one hundred letters of recommendation and reference for students they had in a class a year ago, and senior-year ones have to deal with us kids who are stressed about college admissions.

My mom’s a teacher. She loves when she gets a word of thanks from her students and their parents, and with this week being specifically Teacher Appreciation Week and Sunday being Mother’s Day, I pulled out my watercolors and got to work.

My Statistics teacher adores tulips. My Literature teacher likes gardenias. And of course, my Environmental Science teacher loves nature (and especially orangutans).

I’ve finished two paintings thus far. Here’s to a busy weekend but a happy Monday— Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms out there, and to all you teachers, thank you again for everything you do for us.

Posted on by Ruisi

You, Most Delightful Parasite

You, most delightful parasite, flaunt proudly your perfume
     as the forged red thread woven absent consent
Thieve my creations self-molded through your roots
     still my orchid latches to me and I to you; owe,
     the pale lilac of your petals remain my only other tone
I’ll be warm adorned until you can survive on your own.