'Ladies of the Woods'

By Silver Spun Sand

Wed, 23 Oct 2013
  • 3317 reads
17 comments
 

It’s that time of the year

when the sun sets further away.

 

No sun today, though, as high up

on my hill above the village

I sit – listen to the wind

flirting with a flurry of leaves.

Surreptitiously seducing

 

a straight-laced, carmine-tipped

maple; ruffling the crinoline skirts

of a bed-headed, wayward willow.

 

What better music for the deer,

the vixen, and the muntjak,

heading into winter?

 

Walking back down,

evening muscles in, creeping out

from behind the slender,

silver limbs of the birches;

 

Ladies of the Woods, erect

they stand, heads – bowed,

in fawn-breast light, besoms

hang limp by their sides.

 

Before the demise of the year –

in tact were their hearts.

 

 

Certificate U
Poem
Silver Spun Sand Poems
Nature

Comments

Submitted by Art of the Diver on

Lovely, lovely piece... thank you so much for the talents that you share with us and the beauty which is displayed within your heart... Take care... Rob

Submitted by Silver Spun Sand on

And thank you, Rob, for your lovely words.  Very much appreciated;-)

Tina

 

Submitted by Bee on

Yes - I agree, this is absolutely lovey. I had to look up besom to fully appreciate the description - what a wonderful word. I love this poem. Favourite stanzas - 3 and 6. 

Bee

Submitted by Silver Spun Sand on

Thanks, Bee;-)

Yes, birch twigs are known as 'besoms', and the trees themselves, 'Ladies of the Woods' are said to signify  'rebirth'.

We have a few in our garden, except one got caught in a bonfire that got out of control, a year or so back, and it is still recovering.

Pleased you enjoyed.

Tina

 

Submitted by skinner_jennifer on

What a beautiful scene you paint here in this poem Tina,  I cannot think of a better place to be than in your poem.  No wonder you're so inspired.  Thank you for sharing.  Jenny.

 

Submitted by Silver Spun Sand on

So glad you liked this one, Jenny.Thanks so much for letting me know;-)

Tina

 

Submitted by Ray Schaufeld on

Tina thanks for giving me the lovely name 'ladies of the wood.' The one thing I know is that the oak is the king of the woods and the ash is the queen. Is ash the same as birch? My favourite is the copper beech.   Elsie

Submitted by Silver Spun Sand on

Hi there, Elsie.  I only found out just recently that 'ladies of the wood' were what birches were called.  So very apt, and I too love the copper beech.  As to your question, I think the ash and the birch do differ, the ash, of course, suffering the blight of 'die-back' disease of late, in Great Britain, at least.

Many thanks for reading and sharing your thoughts.

Tina

 

Submitted by The royster on

Wot, No Cherries!!     I almost drifted away to another place of beauty and peace Tina.  More please.  Roy

 

Submitted by Silver Spun Sand on

Thanks, Roy...so very much. You have brightened a dreary afternoon with your words.  Hope your weekend is a sunny one;-)

Tina

 

Submitted by The royster on

You're very welcome Tina. Glad to be of service ;-)  Yes quite sunny but evening spent comforting a very frightened dog. Damn fireworks every night now till Jan 1st.  Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!

 

Submitted by Silver Spun Sand on

Don't talk to me about fireworks, Roy. Hate them.  Hope your dog's OK;-)

 

Submitted by The royster on

Hi Tina,  I remember a time when we only heard these damn things on 5th November. Now we get them from Oct through to Jan.  Suzi's fine now thanks, until tonite that is. ;-)

 

 

Submitted by Silver Spun Sand on

Those were indeed the days, Roy. I'm glad about Suzismiley.  Brings back fond memories of my cat, Chessie, who had a stroke, some two years since.  She too was terrified, and I used to dread it each year.  As you say, it's not only domestic animals that suffer, but all the wild creatures.  We live in the sticks, and I hate to think of all 'my' ducks, rabbits, and suchlike being terrorised as well.  And for what?  It's a mad world right enough.  Oh, and give Suzie a big hug from me, please.

Tina

 

Submitted by The royster on

With ya all the way Tina. We've had them all night tonite and I feel like putting a few rockets where the sun dont shine.   Suzi is under my desk right now, panting lik mad. I'm sure she will be grateful for Hug.   I'm frightened too, Hahaha.   Roy .  

PS. are you having any trouble with typing messages in this box?.  It seems to be all over the place. 
 

 

Submitted by Silver Spun Sand on

Just come back from dinner at my daughter's.  She has two dogs, Archie and Freddie.  Petrified, the poor things...mind you, the smell of roast beef from the kitchen seemed to help, somehow.

As far as typing in the box...this end it's OK, so maybe yours was just a temporary glitch.  There seem to be quite a few of those at the moment;-)

Hope the fireworks are done now...for tonight, at least, and I trust you will have a peaceful one.

Tina

 

Submitted by The royster on

Oh boy!  they went on till 11pm last night. I'm tuning green, Haha    Ooooh Roast Beef, Luvvvvvverly.

Still having problems typing into box. Cannot cut and paste from word document either. Getting Greener!!!

Have  a  lovely week.   Roy