For the second Moss Worlds workshop, we met at Manchester Museum to tour the herbarium with Rachel Webster – Who had prepared a display of highlights from the extensive bryophytes collection. Interestingly, there were also several maps on display, which connected with my moss map project, an idea that’s developed in parallel with this research.
The workshop’s second segment, led by poet and researcher Abbi Flint, introduced us to the concept of poetry as a research method. I was particularly intrigued by the idea of poetic transcription,
which I realised I had experimented with in previous projects. Here is my outcome based on the text I was given to work with. I decided to change extracts of the text to the perspective of the moss rather than the collector.
We were by the tumbling stream
We are by the tumbling stream,
by the rocks dripping with water,
developing our texture in the constant moisture.
We are on the ground, and we are among the stumps.
We may vanish to appear no more until succeeding sessions.
We are peeping over the wall.
We are in the bogs the clay soil, and on the old apple trees,
we are tenants of the neglected Flowerpot.
They are captivated by our verdant carpets.
They find us among the rocks of sandstone slate and limestone,
they find novelty in each district, whilst their search was in vain elsewhere.
They extended their lists, travelling yet further,
toward the commons so that they may find us.
They remove us with pocket knives and other necessary apparatus,
submitting us to the microscope.
reaping their richest harvests, they remove our surplus rocks and soil.
They squeeze out our water and lay us out and press us until quite dry,
reserved at their convenience, we are kept for years unchanged.
We developed our texture in the constant moisture,
by the tumbling stream and the rocks dripping with water.
Poetic transcription of Braithwaite (1883) ‘Mosses’ Taylor, J.E. Notes on Collecting and Preserving Natural History Objects London W.H. Allen Pp 145-158
See the moss worlds website here: https://mossworlds.co.uk/about-mossworlds/
