Hour Glass Portfolio
Ekphrastic Writing (writing in response to art) inspired by Dave Soldano’s Maroon Bells
Just outside Aspen Colorado in one of the most beautiful places in the world, 17-year-old, James T. Retner couldn’t stop flipping the hour-glass.
“Stop, fiddling with the egg time. Time will not pass faster just because the sand is back and forth and back again,” Mrs. Retner, James’ mother was grilling pancakes or flapjacks as she called them.
Jimmy put down the egg timer and picked up his camera.
“Don’t fiddle with the camera. He will be here and then you can get your picture.”
She paused for a moment, looked out the window, waiting for the car that she heard, to appear.
Five, four, three, two, there the fire engine red Chevy rounded the bend in the road a few yards from the front of the cabin.
The car stopped and a short rotund man got out, took off his baseball cap, and ran his fingers through what was left of his hair. James swung open the cabin door and barreled into him. Putting the cap back on his head, Randall Jefferson, or Uncle Randy, reached out with his free hand enveloping James in a bear hug.
“Are we going to go see the hour-glass, today,” Randall stepped into the warmth of the cabin.
“Tomorrow morning, early” replied Edna Retner. His sister put down the spatula and handed him a plate of flap jacks.
“It’s only 8:30,” Randall complained.
“I know, but James wants to have THE best possible picture for his portfolio and application to Rhode Island School of Design. There is nothing like golden aspen leaves quaking in the red-orange glow of an early morning sunrise. And as you well know 8:30 is too late.”
“Okay.” Randall clicked on his phone’s weather app. “Sunrise is 6:48 tomorrow. We will leave here at six and be at Maroon Bells or as Jimmy says, Hour Glass by 6:30.”
Maroon Bells
What’s up / down the canyon into the water / colors dripping / like autumn mountain streams / yellow, orange, red / set fire to green trees / and blue sky
