Hierakion

I really love the way that people who live and work near nature, perceive and understand seasons and time. They use all their senses, not only their eyes or their clocks. And, their world seems to have a consistency and a coherence that binds them tight with the present. For many, staying near nature may be the answer for stress, lack of a life meaning, and depression.

For me, continuing to photograph the seasonal flora and reading about flowers and weeds, which before photography I had such an ignorance, fills me with great pleasure and joy. Especially, when I manage to transfer my mood in the image, like my latest work “Hierakion”, commonly named hawkweed. In ancient and modern Greek, “γεράκι” (hieraki) means hawk. Even if my photo maybe not be a precise depiction, but more an expressive representation of it.

Reading about the hawkweed (otherwise Hieracium), I come up with a classical poet of past centuries “Horology of Flora” that I want to share with you, as it describes this plant so beautifully (Studies in English Poetry, London, 1845, p.25). I think none could ignore this neglected weed after this poetical name and description.

“See Hieracium’s various tribes
of plumy seeds and radiate flowers
The course of time their blooms describe
And wake or sleep in appointed hours“.

hieracium: hawkweed.
plumy:  feathery, from the Latin word pluma.
radiate: from the Latin radius, the spoke of a wheel, or the ray of light.

You can find this poem and more others in the free e-book “Studies in Engish Poetry [an anthology] with short biographical sketches and notes by Joseph Payne” (London, 1845).

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