Ed Rawl Photographing Birdbill Dayflowers (08/29/2014) — Image by kenne
I remember those trails with Ed,
the Santa Catalinas rising around us,
their air thin with pine and sun.
He would stop for what others missed—
a flicker of wings,
a lizard in the shadow of stone,
or, this time,
a birdbill dayflower,
its petals a sudden blue flame
against the dust of the path.
Camera lifted,
he leaned close as if in prayer,
framing the fragile bloom
with patient hands.
I stood back,
watching him catch
what the mountain offered—
a moment small and perfect,
saved in light,
rooted in memory.
(Ed Rawl passed away on April 18, 2020, after experiencing a stroke.)
