It is appropriate for the earth element to be represented by something that is visually heavy, solid, grounded, and has strength.

This abstract watercolour references rock, soil, and chalk in yellow, oranges, red, brown, and white. Metals of gold and silver. Amethyst, emerald, and plants are shown in purple and green.

The poem reflects on changes to my body living life on Earth, the planet.

Sweaty Betty body blues

‘I can’t live if living is without you’* ear worm………

Why is it dry, oily, and moist?
Are they sunspots, freckles, liver spots or moles?
When and why did the lines, wrinkles, crows feet, and crêpe texture first appear?
Surely not from rare UK sunny days or coconut oil frazzled lobster red to peeling brown trips abroad?
Or from living in antipidean glare?

Journeyed from Johnson’s lotion slathered babe
Through acne ravaged, Clearasil cleansed teen,
Twenties, thirties, forties; Clarins, Lancaster, Clinique treated T zone, factor 10 to 30 suncream
To fifties, sixties; Simple, Nivea, Olay, spf 50+ sunscreen, and shade.

Joie de vivre patina of itches scratches, burns, grazes, cuts, bites, blackheads, blisters, blemishes, bruises, fungal rashes, warts, tags, scars, ingrowing hairs and whiskers, and blocked pores.
And,
Yo-yoing weight stretches, sagging wobbling rolls and folds loosening; losing battle against gravitational pull and aging.

Sweaty Betty body blues; love the skin you’re in!

*Harry Nilsson 1971