Dr Abe V Rotor
Our Earth in Upheaval in acrylic (18"x19) AV Rotor 2017)
Palette board crust, forgotten in a corner,
of what use then but discard it for new;
And there it glowed pitifully one summer,
as sweltering heat relentlessly grew.
Canvas on hand to paint that summer day,
searching for subject rare and unique;
I saw the palette board, it wanted to say,
"Here, I am the subject that you seek."
Why, the earth is getting warmer and warmer!
but far from the comfort of the hearth,
Like volcano shall burst and spill, if ever;
the palette tells the fate of our earth. ~
Enigmatic Himbabao or Alukon (Ilk)
Dr Abe V Rotor
Deciduous Himbaba-o or Alukon (Ilk), on-the-spot pastel drawing by the author, La Union Botanical Garden, SFLU. It is referred scientifically as Broussonetia luzonica (Blanco) Bureau
(accepted name) Family Moraceae. It's referred to as Birch Flower.
What comes to mind painting or drawing a culinary subject, such as the alukon standing in a thicket on a hillside away from town? Imagine being a Survivor searching for any available food in the wild. Or Henry David Thoreau living alone by the Walden Pond. (And writing a treatise of man and society of this title)
.
It's a delicacy of the Ilocanos - alukon
to the Tagalogs in Quezon - himbabao
It comes in other names in other places;
its flowers cooked into diningding or stew,
with kamote to thicken its soup - buridibud,
and topped with broiled tilapia or hito. ~
