‘Flowers for Our Elders’ by Ash Ellithorne with art by R. Taylor

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Flowers For Our Elders

I made a bouquet of all the flowers you should’ve had. Deep red roses for the bricks you threw that paved the way. Sunflowers for how your lives still shine a steady light. Gladiolus for the strength you showed, brilliant as the sword it’s named for, and ivy for your resilience. Forget-me-nots because you will never be, even when we don’t remember your names. I wish we could have given them to you in person; we’re not supposed to be the elders yet. But you rest now. We’ll take it from here.

watercolour sketch of flowers including sunflowers, dark red almost purple roses, gladiolus, ivy, and forget-me-nots, bunched together in a bouquet sleeve of the non-binary colours.

About the author

Ash Ellithorne is a queer, nonbinary writer from McSmalltown, Michigan, USA. They hold an MFA in creative writing from the University of Southern Maine’s Stonecoast program.

About the artist

R. Taylor is a digital painter hailing from Chicago, where their art has been exhibited in many a local convention art show. In addition to their own illustration work, they offer their services as a cover artist, often for friends. They also write under their alter-ego, R. J. Howell. Their online gallery can be found at mythavenart.com.