Weekly Scribblings and we're asked to feature trees. I have always looked at a weathered old tree and wondered at the story it might tell. My poem is inspired by Wallace Stevens "13 Ways of Looking at a Blackbird". Submitted to Poets & Storytellers United March 31, 2021
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STORY OF A TREE
It falls from high,
small, brown, inconspicuous,
containing promise of mighty oak
A seedling,
young roots seeking sustenance
growing strong and tall
fulfilling destiny
Shield from summer sun
dappled shade
on cool, green grass.
Natives gather beneath
dense leaves provide shelter
from summer storm
Feathered inhabitants
find welcome homes
and raise voices in song
Now standing sentinel
beside pioneer cabin
amid fresh young dreams.
The child swings
from sturdy limb
happy and secure
In soft rustles of night
a quiet “who who”
of resident owl
Taller still, rooted deep
scarred by time
cloaked in history.
Dressed in colors
glorious red
russet and gold
Now naked in winter winds
limbs akimbo
colors pooled below
Stark shadow cast on snow
like tentacles
seeking warmth
Now tinged with green
bursting with life anew
the cycle continues
This poem is a work of art ~~~~~
ReplyDeleteIndeed, what a magnificent thing is a tree, through all its many phases.
ReplyDeleteThere is beauty everywhere in nature, sadly we are often blind to see it...except us poets of course!
ReplyDeleteWhat a journey - rich images to ponder!
ReplyDeleteAn epic journey in reading this... love it
ReplyDeleteThis poem might just be as lovely as a tree.
ReplyDeleteI like how you've fit the tree's history into the larger fabric of history.
ReplyDeleteNice path your tree took, without moving an inch. Thos oaks are hardy hardy.
ReplyDelete..
From acorn to a tall oak that produces it's next generation - perfectly told here
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