Birch Tree

Gold cherry

By onemorething

Fri, 05 Mar 2021
  • 1323 reads
8 comments
 

I would make my home

in the trunk of a birch tree,

if I could, a small cavity hewn

into hollow, set against the ruin

of squall and bitterness.

And when a buff-tip moth emerges,

branch-like, and wonders, 

wintered, if our birch is asleep 

or dead, I will tell her

what this tree has seen - 

the long desolation of an ice age,

yet was the first to renew, and

will be the earliest to leaf,

that its roots are waking 

from annelid dreams, 

the journeys of worms, stirred

by light to movement 

in the unraveling of March. 
 

Image is from here: https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Johan_Christian_Dahl_-_Study_of_a_Birch_Tree_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg
Also on Twitter: https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Härkäpää_(Phalera_bucephala)_Säppi.JPG#mw-jump-to-license

https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ferdinand_von_Wright_-_Lesser_Spotted_Woodpecker,_Male_-_A_II_815-11_-_Finnish_National_Gallery.jpg

 

 

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Poem
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Comments

Submitted by marandina on

"The long desolation of an ice age..." That's the amazing thing about trees - they outlive us all. Beautiful.

 

Submitted by onemorething on

Thank you Paul! Yes, and birch were one of the first trees to make a resurgence after the last ice age, so pretty tenacious trees. Glad you liked it. :)

 

Submitted by Di_Hard on

I like "wonders, wintered" it sounds sort of dithery, the way they walk backwards and forwards for a bit, in their minds and bodies

also "journeys of worms" makes them heroic :0)

The picture is gorgeous, again! So much beautiful art I would never have known about save for you! It is such a treat to turn on the computer and find one of your wonderful poems with a beautiful picture, like a word kite with its image ribbon. I hope you have a collection of real pictures, you have such huge knowledge

 

Submitted by onemorething on

I enjoyed the sound of 'wonders, wintered' when I wrote it. It felt nice. Am glad you liked the painting too - I enjoy finding them to go with my poems. A word kite! How lovely! Thank you, Di! Am very happy you enjoyed my poem with worms. Rachel :)

 

Submitted by rjnewlyn on

This is our Facebook and Twitter Pick of the Day! Please share/retweet if you like it

 

Submitted by onemorething on

Thanks very much!! :)

 

Submitted by Ross_Lowe on

Birch trees are pretty incredible things, and your poem beautifully captures that. The first to renew, the earliest to leaf... loved it. Thank you for sharing. 

 

Submitted by onemorething on

Thanks Ross, yes they are, aren't they. Thanks very much for reading it! :)