February 14, Columbia Heights

Photo: "Wrapped for Sale" by Garry Knight

There is always someone
     yelling
just outside the Metro station.
Today, no different, but what
this man is protesting
    or exalting
I can't tell from here.

It's two syllables, 
the yelling man's chant,
shouted 
    over and over. 

I stop at the crosswalk, ducking
the upward-flap rustle of pigeons.

The light changes; the cars slow.
Yes. I hear it now.

RO-SES, the yelling man yells.
RO-SES. ROSES.

Art with an Agenda

Refined

Linda Gass creates gorgeous stitched paintings of the Western United States. They're deceptively lovely; each one is also a map of environmental damage.

I talked to Linda about her work. “I try to lure people in with that beauty to get them to confront the hard issues we face,” she said.

Well, it worked for this viewer. I'm totally hooked.

Read more over at mental_floss.