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ArtistHighly detailed salt infused watercolour oil pastel ink painting of Mother Nature,Mother Nature elegantly fully covered in a gown of soft lichen, moss, in hues of green, red, orange, yellow, cream-colored all covered with glistening drops of dew reflecting the soft early morning light beams of the sun, walking over misty undulating rolling hills covered in a large variety of lichen, moss, ferns, deep old growth forest. Arthur Rackham, Edward Robert Hughs, Monet, Masefield Parrish, James Holland
A wee poem I wrote in 2009 to hopefully spark some interest in Lichen.
Walk softly upon the earth
when in the forest you go
for that to which you may tread upon
can take thousands of years to grow
I’m speaking of the lichen
that’s brittle while it sleeps
waiting for the waters
as it slowly grows and creeps
in shallow soil
on sun-baked rocks
along a decayed wood
on tree branches, also bark
found all across the world
in hues of green, red, orange and yellow
and also that of black
It’s really two plants
growing together as one
each providing
what the other lacks
A fungus for moisture,
minerals, protection
from the drying winds and sun
A alga providing chlorophyll,
food for either one
Even so
some will grow
less than 4 millimeters a year
For one small patch
a birthday bash
could take
a thousand candles to light,
“Oh, dear!”
It can provide
if we’re lost outside
as an emergency food
It’s utilized
within dyes,
also medicine and perfume.
It can grow
(I’ll have you know)
in the most severe
of conditions
and locations.
It absorbs from the air
water, plus anything else
that is there
so unfortunately this includes
pollution.
So if it’s in trouble
we ‘d better work
on the double
Consider this a
warning from the
lungwort
To clean up our act
or perhaps
it will be our health
that next will
be hurt.
Then how will we celebrate
this fascinating lichen
that’s been used
in porridge, biscuits
and bread
cooked
with eggs and milk
a little sugar
to fashion up
a lovely custard.
There are words
I have heard
that it’s used
as an anti-inflammatory
You can be sure
that there is more
that can make for a good story
If you’d like to learn
then in turn
do research it
upon the net,
use specific species
This will be easy
as I will share
some with you
this moment
There’s Fimbriata
Cristatella,
Foliose,
Fruticose
and
Crustose,
Do look up
Cladonia,
and I’ve one more
for you
One of my
favorite,
Reindeer Moss!
Then do share
so others might care,
(as they really should),
Then perhaps,
we at last
will walk softly
upon the ground
while in
the woods.
