by Karla Linn Merrifield
1935-2010: “The best slide and movie film in history is now officially retired.”
The New York Times, December 29, 2010
I shoot my last frames of this film
in 35mm magic focused
on the architecture of a triad of trees.
I aim for form to dominate your imagined
view of southwest Florida. At first:
sprawling heavy limbs of live oak
Medusa-like but furred
by dry-season resurrection fern
spines of sabal trunks
and palmed fronds
fit to fan some forgotten goddess
spray of slash pine needles
fringed in afternoon sun
atop the tallest limber god
Picture now the light,
its acts of gloss and glistening
upon lichen and epiphyte in these images;
the understory shines in subtlety.
As day deepens toward evening,
I compose the 24th exposure,
going for muted green shadows for you.
Then effectively-rendered color
gives up its tropical ghosts.
The final dose of developing potions
has finally been poured. In a flash,
poof goes enchantment; I grieve.
My roll of film will remain sealed
in its canisters in a sacred Calusa sea shell.
The great spirit of the Kodachrome
is no more. These slides you’ll never see.
Tomorrow I must go totally digital forever.
Karla Linn has 16 books to her credit. Her newest poetry collection, My Body the Guitar, was nominated for the 2022 National Book Award. She is a frequent contributor to The Songs of Eretz Poetry Review. Visit her website at karlalinnmerrifield.org; her blog at karlalinnmerrifeld.wordpress.com; and find her on Facebook at facebook.com/karlalinn.merrifield.
