Continuing our weekly Writers’ Spotlight series, today we are sharing an extract from Natalie Reiss’ | @piecesofreiss poem, “Alchemy” (2021). Alchemy describes the residency here at Villa Lena and what the estate evokes – its sounds, colours, movements. This work was written for the Villa Lena’s Dinner Under the Stars in September 2021.
Alchemy and all the other poems written by Natalie while at Villa Lena were collected in a now sold out published chapbook titled ROMANCING DYSTOPIA, but you can reach out directly for further enquiries.
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Behold the Hockney pool,
Drink it with your eyes.
A Slim Aaron’s photograph,
A dream coming to life
Shades of teal,
Tiffany blue.
It’s really more of a feeling
than a hue.
Natalie Reiss, excerpt from Alchemy, 2021
Pictures by:
1 – Frederik Vercruysse | @frederik_vercruysse
2 – Louise Palmberg | @louisececiliapalmberg
3 – Lottie Hampson | @lottiehampson
Natalie Reiss, Alchemy, 2021:
Gravel hits the tires,
Leading you through the twists.
Twists that turn,
Twists that promise,
Twists that take you atop a hill.
And, exhale.
An exhalation after isolation,
An inhalation amidst habitations;
Welcome to the Villa.
From orto to table,
From hand to mouth.
From seed and weed,
To honey from the south.
Cicadas in September
And ivy turned to gold.
Crème fraîche, basil cream,
Gastro stories to unfold.
Flowers as fist aid,
Nature is where we heal.
Silver stars above us,
A set designed for our meal.
Behold the Hockney pool,
Drink it with your eyes.
A Slim Aaron’s photograph,
A dream coming to life.
Shades of teal,
Tiffany blue.
It’s really more of a feeling
than a hue.
Curation for the soul
And the power of a place.
Beauty is important,
Beauty is what we chase.
Secluded from the news,
Engineered to make you muse.
A dystopian time
Requires this point of view.
Strangers commune,
To feast is to worship.
Fall flavours, family style
Plentiful, because you’re worth it.
A shift in gears
On the road and in the mind.
Appreciate this moment,
This light, this kind…
… of magic.
Magic and meringue,
Summer fruit, garden herbs.
Standalone items, fused together
And now a herd.
Transmutation of materials,
An elemental night.
No need to gild the lily,
Alchemy is in full flight.
The burnish sun has set,
The clink of cutlery near.
You absorb what you choose,
And you choose to be here.
