haunted & uncrowned

your thin hands are those of a sparrow

poised to slump, defeated scarecrow  

no caws or birdsongs can reach you

no grunts or hoots from small creatures

can meander near your shadow

the green and lavender hues in the faraway

distance hurts your eyes

wallowing you deeper in your wounds & woes

how you allowed it to fester, red & rot 

can the wind make you swish & sway at all?

can the sun spark a seed of memories:  lush 

yellow green needles, pine cones and nuts?

sorrow seeps from every pore of your skin

oh the agony of being uncrowned leafless tree

bark beetle-bested, your inside is solid carcass

knees keeling

ribs reeling

tell me when you are ready for the

axe to fall

Georgia O’Keefe, Dead Piñon Tree (1943), 40 x 30 inches, oil on canvas, Gift of The Georgia O’Keeffe Foundation
2006.5.180 © Georgia O’Keefe Museum

Posted for dVerse Poets Pub - Haunted, hosted by Melissa Lemay.   Please join us when the pub doors open at 3pm EST.

Just saw

 

I saw what you did

with the trees

Along the road & into the valleys

weaving to the lush forest

I saw what you did 

with the birds, hawks & butterflies

There were other creatures too

whose silence is now deafening when

You cut down that mother tree

with your giant saw, with disdain & lack

of empathy.  Thereafter

we all saw the giant warehouses covering

the landscape as sawdust,

the soft pink sky forever hidden from our eyes-

So don't complain now why

your fruits taste like plastic

And the air is a violent red, itching your lungs

And the land is ash, sinking with every fervered breath 

Just Saw from 

Erick Johansson

Posted for dVerse Poets Pub - OpenLinkNight, hosted by Linda.   Join us when the pub doors open at 3pm EST.

Woman of the Tree

 

her ribs came from wood

of sufferings, swollen with moonlit tears

her eyes reflect solitude of woods

her arms softest of fiddlehead ferns

yet her fire from failures

carves her path now

into the next journey,

she is resolute, as her mother

& grandmother have been, welding 

her words to burn at every dawn 

Tree Sculpture at Mississuaga Park

Posted for dVerse Poets Pub - OpenLinkNight, hosted by Mish. Join us when the pub doors open by 3pm EST.   Thanks for the visit and comments.   

A Canadian Feast

lead me 
where the tree is a cathedral
of colors
and the sky is a river of light

where simple joys
outshine any shadows of sorrow 
stain the forest floor with 
fat cheeks of ferns, 
wild lips of flowers, 
& poised coats of mushrooms  

that I may see the 
wisdom
of your brown-weathered palms-
that I may rest on your
bosom of green
and roots of serenity-

ink my pen
with dew and seed pods
from your autumn harvest

for today is a feast
of thankfulness for this good earth 

Grace@Rattlesnake Point, Milton, Ontario

Posted for D'verse Poets Pub - Poetics:  A Cause for Celebration - Hosted by Walter Wojtank - Yesterday was our Canadian holiday- Thanksgiving.    

The aftermath

   © Tornado Tree by Isadora Gruye

My limbs are bare of palm leaves and fruits
The wind has tore them from my hands  
Violently, without warning -- fruits
from labor hands, slipped from my hands
Splitting grey belly,   scattering seeds 
In soil, dry of grief and repast, blooms break 
The sky grieves the empty blooms and seeds
But I am not broken --    I will not break !

~0~0~0~

The autumn tempest has ripped me bare
Of roof and sun colors but sheets -
Thin, hardly veiling gaping walls,  bare 
Of  sheets, I stood, amid pale sheets
Brown eyes searched the blue skies for answers
Brutal is the wrath of the bitter wind
I listened for answers...        one answer 
... Only the clouds pulsed, flailing in the wind   

                                                            @ Terry of Mobuisfaith


Poetry form:   An eight line poem by William Butler Yeats.  
Line 1: 9 syllables (a)
Line 2: 8 syllables (b)
Line 3: 9 syllables (a)
Line 4: 8 syllables (b)
Line 5: 9 syllables (c)
Line 6: 10 syllables (d)
Line 7: 9 syllables (c)
Line 8: 10 syllables (d)



Posted for:   OpenLinkNight of Imaginary Garden with Real Toads (every Monday)
and D'verse Poets Pub (every Tuesday) ~  Thanks for the visit ~ 

Tree

red maple tree

with leaves fiery and shaped of tears,  

silently she mourns  

~0~0~

pine tree 

coated with ivory and midnight moon,  

restless is her sleep

~0~0~

cherry blooms 

on a parasol of forest green -

spring in her step

~0~0~

willow tree

bowing in a dance courtyard - 

boldly she leaps   

Posted for Haiku Heights:  Tree

and Haiku My Heart

Tree of sunshine

yellow, bright as sun's cheeks 

was the color on the wall, 

until you smeared it cloudy gray

scrubbing, peeling it away 

i could not, in my blue winter coat

so i took a bulb of onion tears, 
and potted it with black manure       

the tree grew fragrant white blossoms,

lighting up my kitchen of shine  

bearing lemons, sweet and juicy  

spilling spring on my lap,  green  

curtains on my window, yellow

all through snow splattered days 

Posted for The Gooseberry Garden :   Theme is Spring, Colors, Trees, and New Lives 

If you are feeling the winter blues, plant a tree indoor.   Thanks for the visit ~

More information on : Meyer Lemon Fruit Trees 

Picture credit:   here  

The same tree, the same humanity

Since I live in a multi cultural city in Canada, I am always amaze of how different people are and yet are also alike in a lot of ways. Sure, we originally came from different countries, race and upbringing, and it is reflected in our food and clothing, and also religious faith, if any.  But once you get to know individuals and families, you discover that you share the same values, and appreciation for life and your country.    As a mom, I share the same concerns with any mom with a growing teen daughter.    As a working professional, I share the same health and family concerns like other working women.  In the broader context, I believe in freedom of expression so I sympathize with other people in other countries who want to break away from political tyranny and oppression.   It is heartening to realize that you and other individuals share the same compassion and sadness when others are hurt and suffering, and happiness, when families, teams and countries come together for peace and understanding.

Also, because I believe that despite our external differences, sometime back in ancient times, all of us are connected or related in one way or another.   If we can appreciate this, then perhaps we can be more tolerant of each other's differences and learn to co-exist more peacefully.

Do you agree that at one time, we all came from the same tree?

Picture Credit:  Luke Tscharke

http://www.luketscharke.com/index.php?showimage=80