fern dust

these ferns grow every spring
fiddleheads unfurl 
from the same root system
shed golden powdery dust
which i collected
on wednesday
and cooked
for a while
now it's hydrated
and ready for a little papermaking experiment
i'll let you know how it comes out
but first i will nurture this spring cold--
wendy is doing well, no more seizures
so far. she's sad hannah's gone, but she's used to that change.
hannah and ian have been leaving,
on and off, for 15 years.