Friday 30 April 2010

They Said



They said if I ever betrayed them
they’d climb up through the floor boards
and tie the dog’s ears to
a tea towel
I said apron strings would be more useful
they said it was not possible to climb through apron strings
I disputed that
but thought the debate would last all night
and there wasn’t time
as the dogs flapping ears testified.
The red carpet wrapped around the green shoes
and slowly but surely
the tea towel was pulled from under our feet with incredible discretion
they politely said
enough was enough
I also disputed that
because red is just too
much
even the dog knows that
but because of the angels
we thought it best to keep quiet on that one
generally speaking it never quite works
I’m sure it’s the whiskers
I never betray even the longest Apron Strings
they are usually flowery and I don’t see that it matters anyway.
Pink has always been important to me
thick to the back teeth pink
the sound of a silent room sort of pink
so pale it’s not white
dense fog
cat curling pink

A plant game for the Arnolfini, Bristol.




All plants used in this game were found within several metres of the building – even right up against it. All were recorded on March 29th 2010.

Each plant has 4 cards containing different information. Different ways of reading the plants, translations.

A sentence of response from me. A list of names in different languages. An action.
A layman’s description
A more technical description
Traditional uses. What I would use it for.

The Game:
Cut up the cards shuffle text side up. Sort out the cards for each plant. Turn over the cards to see if you are right!

Additions to the game: actions:

7 people can do their actions simultaneously by reading their instructions first. They could read their instructions one at a time. Or one person could read aloud the instructions. The plants could be found outside and the actions performed beside them. Or any other way you may devise to play.


The 7 plants are:

Common Chickweed Stellaria media
Common Mouse-ear Cerastium fontanum
Dandelion Taraxacum officinale agg
Groundsel Senico vulgaris
Herb Robert/stinking Bob Geranium robertianum
Petty spurge/stinking milkweed Euphorbia peplus
Sheherd’s purse Capsella bursa-pastoris



I have used various references and my own long collected information. In particular: Reader’s Digest Field Guide to Wild Flowers of Britain; The Wild Flower Key, Francis Rose, Warne; Culpeper’s Complete Herbal; Mrs Grieve’s Modern Herbal

contact fflofflach@yahoo.co.uk for further details, the booklet is £6.00 including 2nd postage to UK. It comes perforated for instant use or unperforated (perforated could enable the quick witted to cheat a little at the game...)

see a map and pictures here

see all the text
here