Scottish artist Elizabeth Blackwell took years to produce her A Curious Herbal, not only drawing all the plants from life, but engraving the copper plates and hand-colouring the prints, all to raise the funds to get her husband out of debtor’s prison. For thanks, her husband took off to Sweden without her and got himself into royal trouble.
I, however, remain very grateful to Elizabeth Blackwell, for her illustration evoked this memory for me.
More of my ekphrastic poetry here. This is free verse. I have written more about my mother and salad here.
Cucumber
does not rhyme with mother
nor with grey linoleum
green geometric wallpaper
cream coloured gas cooker
blowing one’s own eyebrows off
cabinets of never-used decanters
velveteen chairs
formica dining table
later, a faux-teak extendable one
nor rhymes with mother’s joy
eating with a fork direct
from a silver-rimmed bowl
dressed with lemon and sugar
crisply scented sliced cucumber
she picked fresh from her garden
urging me, with outstretched fork
to try, just try!
©elsp 2026
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