The story of cochineal, the glorious red of kings, noblemen, and priests, as told by the insect that sacrifices its life for the pigment.
Inspired by "The Secret Lives of Color," by Kassia St. Clair. She tells the stories of 75 colors--their history, meanings, and use.
Melody is in the works. This is fun!
COCHINEAL
A spray of tiny crimson dots
The naked eye can barely see
Emerges into the warmth of a tropical morning
Spent scarlet nymphs, exhausted
Clustered on cactus leaves
Weave garments of white
A shield against the rain
Protection from the merciless sun beating down
We appear as snowy mounds
Now it is time to leave
Poised at the edge of the known world
Attached to long, spun filaments of wax
That rise and fall
We wait for the wind to carry us
We stake our claim
On you, cactus green
Resigned yet gracious host
We feed on your life-giving sweetness
But never fear
Nature’s delicate balance constrains us
We will not harm you
Nor consume you
For it would mean our own demise
At ninety days of life
We are ready to be
Gathered with a careful eye
A gentle hand
As thousands of my sisters tumble into Zapotec baskets of palm
Baptized in a blinding eruption of heat and steam
Sacrifice takes only a second
Purity of color is ensured
The coveted hue of royalty and teachers of spiritual truths
The color of blood meeting air
Crimson, carmine, scarlet
We are transformed
We become cochineal
@nancyrost Feb 2022
What a cool series! The closeness of these details is amazing. I love colors but I've never thought that closely about their origins. Looking forward to hearing this set to music!
@kcc Feb 2022
WoW! Almost reminds me of an opera! Like it!
KC