Illumination.

for Rosemary Harries.

Artists are escapists.

We don't care much for 'real'. 

Whatever nature delivers, 

we want to improve the deal. 

So we'll shift the light and shade, 

and reparse to re-enlighten. 

We can damn the 'drear' to darken. 

We can gild and shine and brighten. 

Sure! We can appreciate 

a well-formed natural state. 

Yet oft', we'll ache to change the script 

or even wipe the slate. 

Facing charges of presumptuousness 

from anal analytics. 

We'll contend that nature made us, 

to be nature's 'natural' critics.