My immediate response was that it’s a tree, seen through the windscreen of a car. But having read the other comments, now I’m wondering. Anyway, it’s really lovely.
I was sent some advance writing nuggets by the editors, to see what (if any pics) I might have that would resonate or amplify the writing.
While getting my car washed, I saw this live oak through the scrim under which car wash customers could avoid broiling in summer Texas sun. I thought it was an interesting echo of what was in Bill’s piece, with its nameless din and ash tree. Lucky for me Beth and Dave agreed!
I find photography a useful channel for reminding me how ambiguous “reality” can be. So, while MB and Natalie were pretty close in guessing, I can see how Bill might have thought it a fortunate piece of porphyry, or Dave the hood of a car.
Have fun, all!
Bill
August 13, 2006 at 9:29 pm
Well certainly that image is not one to give up its name; the layers and blooming patches of glare are loud, confusing and tussle out a kind of clamor, strident but secret of both location and classification, lightstruck and out of focus. I’m honored you found a battered match in my submission. Your image seemed cool to me when I thought I recognized what it was; now that you tell me I’m wrong, AND I can’t really see what you are telling me is there, I am scalded. To crawl up into the ruptured silhouette of the live oak only to dig back up out of the ground at the roots of my ash tree, but by way of Texas, leaves me blazed, distended and looking out the backs of my eyeballs.
Or something like that!
Qarrtsiluni (2005-2013) was a groundbreaking online literary magazine, one of the first to fully exploit blog software. Though we never quite realized our dream of creating a print-on-demand option for each issue, being online does mean that our back issues remain accessible indefinitely, so there's that. And we published some damn fine stuff — check it out.
Copyright Notice
All copyrights are retained by the original authors and artists. We will gladly forward requests for republication, and would appreciate a link back to qarrtsiluni in return.
qarrtsiluni 
Imperial Porphyry? (this type of stone: http://harpy.uccs.edu/roman/tetrarchs.jpg )
Guess again, Bill…
It’s great to have you here, Lori, gracing these pages with your work.
Hi Beth! Thanks for the space to grace. Will put a note on my blog tomorrow for folks to come see qarrtsiluni, if y’all don’t mind.
Bill, I won’t tip what I saw yet…am eager to see what others may think it is.
But I will tell, later.
;-)
This is a lovely image, Lori, but also mysterious regarding its source. It reminds of some of your other photos of rust.
I assumed it was the hood of a car or truck. Not very imaginative of me, I guess.
Tree viewed through gauze or screening? Lovely textures.
intriguing. is it rust?
My immediate response was that it’s a tree, seen through the windscreen of a car. But having read the other comments, now I’m wondering. Anyway, it’s really lovely.
No,not seen through a windscreen but through curtains.
Happy Sunday, everyone!
I was sent some advance writing nuggets by the editors, to see what (if any pics) I might have that would resonate or amplify the writing.
While getting my car washed, I saw this live oak through the scrim under which car wash customers could avoid broiling in summer Texas sun. I thought it was an interesting echo of what was in Bill’s piece, with its nameless din and ash tree. Lucky for me Beth and Dave agreed!
I find photography a useful channel for reminding me how ambiguous “reality” can be. So, while MB and Natalie were pretty close in guessing, I can see how Bill might have thought it a fortunate piece of porphyry, or Dave the hood of a car.
Have fun, all!
Well certainly that image is not one to give up its name; the layers and blooming patches of glare are loud, confusing and tussle out a kind of clamor, strident but secret of both location and classification, lightstruck and out of focus. I’m honored you found a battered match in my submission. Your image seemed cool to me when I thought I recognized what it was; now that you tell me I’m wrong, AND I can’t really see what you are telling me is there, I am scalded. To crawl up into the ruptured silhouette of the live oak only to dig back up out of the ground at the roots of my ash tree, but by way of Texas, leaves me blazed, distended and looking out the backs of my eyeballs.
Or something like that!