The Ascent of a Dog Rose

Cherry

By onemorething

Sun, 28 Feb 2021
  • 199 reads
12 comments
 

A dog rose has climbed

a cathedral for a thousand years,

searching for god; its roots

stretched through saints,

sap to each hooked thorn

that grapples with stone - 

it may have outwitted time,

but it remains bloodless. 

And in spite of briar and brimble,

greenfinches, hard-beaked, 

and redwings, the oscine clutch

arched stems to thread the air

with music, woven prayers

for the crimson bread of rose hips.

We congregate, though godless,

we gather, and yet we are not lacking

love - faith is not the offspring

of devotion, but resilience,

and survival, and in this,

I understand religion. 
 

 

Image is from here: https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Illustration_Rosa_canina1.jpg#mw-jump-to-license

 

And on Twitter: https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Familiar_wild_birds_(Plate_22)_(6032352373).jpg

https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Redwing_Grönvold.jpg

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Comments

Submitted by drew_gummerson on

I love that, faith is resilience and survival. 

 

Submitted by onemorething on

Thanks Drew! And for the cherries! :)

 

Submitted by skinner_jennifer on

I agree with Drew, a great poem of resilience and survival and such a pretty wild flower too.

Jenny.

 

Submitted by onemorething on

Yes, a beautiful wild rose. I think lots were propagated in WW2 for the hips due to their vitamin C content. So more survival there too, in a sense. I'm glad you liked it, Jenny. Thanks for reading it. :)

 

Submitted by Gothicman on

Of many admired poems of yours, I like this one the most. For me, this type of interpretive poem using symbolic and/or specific tendencies in plants, or distinct attitudes and actions in animals, their primitive characteristics, perhaps in the latter true representations of Man's earlier evolutionay stages (which is why fables used animals too), to give voice to how we experience the many aspects of life, adds another quality to the aesthetic beauty of your work. I'm never sure you yourself are aware of the profound metaphorical messaging in your poetry, presumably as part of the inspiration that caused it to be written. Although I suspect it's me being naive here. I tend to be a bit slow these days!

Anyway, a super poem, and much enjoyed.
Trevor

 

Submitted by onemorething on

Oh good! Thank you! To be truthful here, there is little symbolism connected to the plant itself as whilst there is lots of symbolism around roses, dog roses and rose hips, a bit more sparse - though lots of interesting names for them around the UK. However, they have very hooked thorns and they climb so lots to derive from that. I was thinking about the contrast too, between the ascent of the dog rose and the descent of man. And you're right - sometimes I am aware, sometimes it is just a deep physical feeling that I find it more difficult to explain. I suppose because I am sometimes feeling a range of things in connection to something, and it's all entangled so when someone asks me about it, I find it hard to express beyond what I've written. I think that's a good thing in many respects - I really believe that the meaning lies with the reader in the moment rather than with me. Anyway, I'm chuffed that you liked it. Thanks for reading it and your lovely comment. Rachel :)

 

 

Submitted by Di_Hard on

yes, I believe this, too. Belief in the rightness of nature makes all things cling to life, that whatever we suffer now will pass, just as winter does, or rain breaks the chains of drought.

I had to look up oscine :0)

Couldn't find brimble, is it another word for bramble?

Your poem makes a lovely image, is it a real place?

 

Submitted by onemorething on

Yes, we all try to survive and hope that any struggle will pass. It is the in the cycle of things, as you say. Oscine - I'd find it hard to choose a favourite bird, but I am a fan of all singing ones. Brimble is from the Devonshire name for dog rose, hook-brimble because I was born in Devon. The dog rose has so many fabulous names, ewe brimmel is another Devonshire one, brimmel being a derivation from brimble, I guess and brimmel is how my Nan, in her thick Devonshire accent would have pronounced brimble. Also called bird briar, bucky, cat-whin, choops and pig rose- amongst many others. The dog rose climbing a cathedral is, I believe, true, to the extent that somewhere in Germany (I can't remember where offhand) a very old dog rose climbs a cathedral- purportedly at least a thousand years old. I have no idea if it really has climbed for that long! So, in short, yes and no! Thanks for reading it, Di and taking the time to comment. :)

 

 

Submitted by Di_Hard on

Thank you for explaining

 

Submitted by onemorething on

It was a bit of a long explanation! :) :)

 

Submitted by Insertponceyfre... on

A wonderful rose (one of my favourites) - a springboard for this beautiful piece ( I agree with gothicman) - and what a fascinating series of comments too!

 

Submitted by onemorething on

Oh good, thanks insert. Lovely roses, wild and free. :)