Poetry Blogs (2013, trees)
The Bus Stop
A woman at the bus stop wears a candy striped skirt.
It billows around her a la Marilyn Munroe
and puts me in mind of pink candy floss and a fun fair.
Soft, silver silhouettes sway gently against the whiskery wood.
Sharp railing spikes look ready to pierce any shadows with their fierce arrow heads.
And then they are gone behind a cloud.
Ginger, lime and gold lollipops hang from th...
Monday 28th October 2019 6:16 am
Autumn Smokers
The crisp, golden colours of autumn foliage
set a backdrop of warm russets and oranges along the side street.
They glow as the bold shapes of the street lights cut through them,
angular and steely, petrol blue in the twilight.
Dusty, dark bark against the flutter of soft, yet crumpled orange leaves.
So delicate, so beautiful and so impermanent like the heady days of a butterfly.
...
Monday 28th October 2019 5:57 am
Destiny Bound
You think you can
break my heart
without breaking
your own?
We are one.
Your tears
are my tears.
My tears stream
down your face.
Interwined energy,
we try to escape,
but it keeps pulling us back
to this silent space.
You turn away,
nothing to say,
rue the day.
I laugh through the tears,
because I know we will be
bound again for years,
lifetimes...
Our des...
Monday 28th October 2019 1:04 am
Augury
Waking to see autumn's lustre
lit on my beech
rust leaves gilt glowing
red gold bathed by
a rising sun's first grasp
of day.
Turning to see gold amber cirrus
low light the east -
beneath a darker grey purple
cloud bruise
that golden gleam of
dawning dawn.
So my sad grey purple dreams
dawn dim
their dark ghosts disconnect ...
Tuesday 22nd October 2019 11:54 am
Luddenden
The evening sun scorches the shade.
The trees, in their glade, are forced to choose;
Stand tall and brave - or turn to crave
the cool safety of the dusk.
Like soldiers from another age, they are proud and tall,
Defenders of nature with their all.
Their bark tells the story, of seasons full of change.
Frost. Ice. Mud. Heat. Few, then a lot... of peoples feet.
...
Sunday 20th October 2019 9:57 pm
Inverleith Avenue
Inverleith Avenue
watery, winter sun,
liquid gold.
suddenly shoots a
fuzzy spotlight on me.
Dazzled,
estatic.
Slow burn,
inner warmth.
Cold electric blue sky,
serried ranks of trees
standing to attention,
stripped bare in their
winter skeletons.
Gnarled,
hoary,
but beautiful.
Stripped of the frivolous
garnishing of summer,
growing old gracef...
Friday 20th September 2019 9:45 pm
What I learnt from a tree
It just stood there
Happy to simply be
Sometimes a little gentle sway
Of it's skinny bark
In the breeze
Teasing it's leaves a bit
And when it was bare
It was still just ...there
Standing proud
Putting up with it all
Reminding me
To do the same
Those determined little buds
Packed full of potential
Showing how essential
It is to live in hope
Of a new ...
Wednesday 14th August 2019 5:32 pm
Uchtryd's Summer Place
In Mariamné's time
What trees would have grown so tall
What was there beyond the garden wall?
When she walked beyond the garden gate
Did she see the river's sudden spate
And did the rustle of a summer breeze
Mask the red kite's call above those trees
And did she hear the Spring birds' calls
Above the echo of Ystwyth's falls
Did she stroll her father's ways
And let the...
Tuesday 4th June 2019 2:39 pm
Fight! Fight!
The magpies
nesting in the beech
began shouting
angry
to see a squirrel
in their tree
Attracted
like bad boys in the playground
more magpies
joined in
hopping from branch to branch
a harsh chatter
of anger
The squirrel
preferring a quiet life
left
by way of my garden
wall
Today the tree is silent
Friday 5th April 2019 3:41 pm
Love, Me
Beautiful dreamer
take solace with me
and a soft melody.
I will soothe you,
woo you,
set your spirit free.
You are never alone
when you love me.
###
Sunday 24th March 2019 2:12 am
All I saw was trees
I longed to see a forest
So I crossed the seven seas
But when I finally got there
All I saw was trees
So I headed for the mountains
A range called Pyrenees
But when I got much nearer
All I saw was trees
And then somebody told me
The Amazon would please
And guess what bloody happened ?
Monday 21st January 2019 5:44 pm
The Protectors
THE PROTECTORS
They had stood over me since my birth
Watching, Protecting
Heads bowed in respectful silence
Friends who gave so much
Yet asked for nothing
I grew up sheltered by their love
Safe in their strength
Knowing that one day
I too would stand high
And bask in the light of life
Eventually they fell
One by one
Giving more light each time
Al...
Tuesday 15th January 2019 1:07 am
My Lady of the Beeches
To wake lit by that lunar light
Toiling from the depth of dreams
Misty minded from the night
So the distant land below the window seems
Illusory
To see beyond the shaded hedge
Hear again the whisper soft
As bedewed we walked, that ghostly pledge
Those lovely echoes of a distant past yet waft
Silently
To sense again her presence there
Knowing how we walked at ease
...Friday 23rd November 2018 2:55 pm
My Old Beech
This tree
is old
It knows its time but has grown in the ancient hedge
escaping the billhook and the thresher blade
standing 'gainst the farmer's pledge
that every stem should be neatly laid
This tree
is wise
It is as large as it needs to be and no more
its spread has grown to contain all of its leaves
and each year it grows to store
just as many leav...
Tuesday 20th November 2018 3:52 pm
A Million Ordinaries
I’m ordinary and that’s ok
Extraordinary is made of
A million ordinaries anyway
I can feel Magnolia
Reflecting sheen
From her glossy dark leaves
It’s early afternoon
Rays warm my left shoulder
My car window lets just enough in
The faint rattle in my back seat
Plays a bridge
To the melody of my AC
The turns of my car, so familiar
The rout...
Thursday 25th October 2018 1:51 am
An Autumn Song for the Traveller
Before I go
Let me drink this rich wine
Let me sing my delight
This gold red dawn has promise:
vibrant with the cold sun
vanishing valley mists
leave damp spider web to shimmer
mistdrops on the long reeds
and ungathered lawn leaves
damply shining
against the muted green of wet grass.
This amber morning has perfection:
wonderfully wooded leaf tints
golden...
Monday 22nd October 2018 3:01 pm
Storm Watcher
He watched the leaves float
in the pond
windmoving on the surface
drop-pitted by rain,
leaves, orange-brown against the black depths
He watched the leaves stick
to the patio
wetgluing to the slate
slickened by the storm,
leaves, orange-brown against the black stone
He watched the leaves move
on the trees
wildwaving off the branches
leafstripped by t...
Friday 12th October 2018 2:25 pm
Sky
5th September 2018
Today
on the drive home
the transcendent wonder
of the clear ice blue rimmed with golden pink
and the blackness of trees
horizon silhouettes
and bats
Thursday 6th September 2018 9:28 am
The Language of Trees
Have you ever communed with a tree?
The essence of all
Mother earths rich gift
Used your eyes, studied her bark, roots, canopy.
Noticed her position in the forest family
A watcher of the woods or an infant in the glade
Full sun or partial shade
Colour, shape, size, branches, leaves can all be studied
But have you ever looked deeper.
Looked beyond, felt her fears, dreams...
Tuesday 14th August 2018 10:58 am
Wind Dance
Sycamore leaves dance
In only the lightest breeze
They never turn askance
Like leaves on other trees
Sycamore leaves flair
Within their perfect ballet
In just the lightest air
Blowing up the valley
Monday 18th June 2018 12:04 pm
Llyfnant 2
version without the Welsh folklore
Under the yellow-green of sunlit beech
between banks of bluebells' hazy blue
where supple crosiers of new fern reach
over verdant moss still damp with dew
a grassy lane runs beside the river
In the mystic quiet of a leafy dome
of grey bark ash, beech and mighty oak
a far cuckoo calls all walkers home
but we pass u...
Wednesday 6th June 2018 3:14 pm
Llyfnant
Under the yellow-green of sunlit beech
between banks of bluebells' hazy blue
where supple crosiers of new fern reach
over verdant moss still damp with dew
a grassy lane runs beside the river
In the mystic quiet of a leafy dome
of grey bark ash, beech and mighty oak
a far cuckoo calls the dryads home
but we pass unseen by woodland folk
'til tylwyth teg w...
Monday 4th June 2018 9:31 am
The Old Beech Trees
As an evening bat dips and feeds
Lost light dims down the summer night
To deep dusk blue as the bright sun cedes
To soft moon above beech tree height
In the gentle night's warm azure sky
The beech trees' majesty holds sway
Their silhouettes hide the lone owl cry
Black shapes caressed by owlish grey
These trees have lived so many ages
Their trunks have known the...
Wednesday 14th March 2018 2:43 pm
Dead Wood
Dead wood, no good.
Get rid of the dead
wood that won’t burn
like wet yew branches.
People are dead wood,
like soul callouses.
They cling to you,
bring only judgement.
Spouting forth sin,
or their own piss;
its all the same
when you don’t drink it.
They call you wrong,
say you are useless,
no use for burning.
I smack the dead wood
out of my life,
...Friday 19th January 2018 10:33 am
100 Reasons to Plant a Tree
Add them up and there must be
one hundred reasons to plant a tree:
The buds of May inlaid with dew. 1
The verdure of the summer leaves. 2
Winter twigs -a filigree 3
against the sky’s gunmetal hue.
Refreshing shade when days are hot, 4
and autumn colours -red and gold. 5
Rot down leaves to make leafmould 6
and mulch it rou...
Saturday 13th January 2018 1:40 pm
Limbs
The trees are flesh made.
Gauntly etched to form gangrenous limbs,
Skeletal fingers lacing outward
For the heavens.
Nails,
A multiplicity of fungal greens
That curl and sway about the breeze.
The trees are flesh made,
Blood racing within barcomulch veins
Wednesday 25th October 2017 6:06 am
One Aspen
Aspen grove
Separate trunks
Thrust skyward
Shaking golden leaves
Whispering tambourines
I cannot see the forest
For this tree
Separate bodies
Milling about
Shaking hands
Whispering gossip
I no longer see the selves
For this humanity
Sunday 22nd January 2017 5:55 pm
Blaikie Wood
The traffic fumes and roars, deafening my thoughts.
Bark glistens in wrinkled folds with charcoal accents, smudged.
An electric blue flashes cool and a flood of beauty washes over me
as dark, emerald burrs softly quiver.
A wall of trees shields and deadens all sounds.
Silence beckons me.
Sunday 3rd April 2016 11:24 pm
Norwegian Wood
I walk amongst the trees but who is there to hear?
I whisper and let my voice rustle the leaves until their tremors cease.
Hoarse and weary, not heard, not seen, I wonder if I have ever been.
A Norwegian hillside, a Norwegian wood, I sing your song.
Hear me.
There is much talking but who is there ever to hear?
In life, I roar silently as people pass, unseeing.
Soundless, I mo...
Sunday 3rd April 2016 11:19 pm
Into The Wilderness
Into the Wilderness
Into the wilderness we went. Edhweirft and Hwyrflung swirled above us, blowing and bustling through the treetops. Watching. Threatening. But maintaining a safe distance as the trees protected us
Scrunch
Crack
Squelch
Scrunch
Crack
Squelch
... we went, as the gloam drew in. Druuuuuin!! Closer. Druuuuuuuuiiiiinnnn!!!!! Closer. It hugs, this gloa...
Sunday 27th March 2016 4:25 pm
Sunrises
Pink tendrils trail
the sky, gathering
in a salmon cloud
of dusky smoke.
Dark brush strokes
of lilac sweep the
skyline, getting lost
in the tangle of
inky branches
silhouetting the sky.
A morass of interwoven
trunks, like a spider's web
gone wild and
overgrown.
So delicate, so
soon lost,
evaporated, nothing but
a memory in
the heart and soul.
Saturday 19th December 2015 10:55 pm
Access weekend
iPod plugged, young Victor’s
muttered not a word since my divorce.
Grace is up front. She carps,
“Dad, why d’you drive this Chelsea Tractor?”
Thinks she’s going to save the world of course
since reading a bit of ecology for GCSE.
I hang a left and bark,
“You think I never cared? You’ll see!”
My big Land Cruiser cruises
country lanes through blizzards of thistle-down.
The car-...
Sunday 13th December 2015 10:35 pm
One hundred reasons to plant a tree
Add them up and there must be
one hundred reasons to plant a tree:
The buds of May inlaid with dew. 1
The verdure of the summer leaves. 2
Winter twigs -a filigree 3
against the sky’s gunmetal hue.
Refreshing shade when days are hot, 4
and autumn colours -red and gold. 5
Rot down leaves to make leafmould 6
and mulch it rou...
Wednesday 2nd December 2015 8:57 pm
twisted trees
A twisted oak coiled round its self the perfect home for a mouse.
He climbed up a twisted branch and made his peace there, he built a nest of twine in the hollow center.
twine woven in brade, ants climbing up in parade. the army came to a hault and flead, they
feared for their lives and would rarther not be dead.
the stars a gemstone, the moon an ivory marble in a get jar.
...
Monday 17th August 2015 8:11 pm
OH ENGLAND
Oh, England,
you green and pleasant land,
your beauty never ceases to instil
a calmness in my hands.
A sense of peace; contentment
within my wandering mind,
a fulfilling feast for longing eyes
that seem always looking behind.
The golden greens of your pastures
covering long and rolling hills,
the succulent scent of your flowers
tickling senses to smile at...
Sunday 2nd August 2015 7:04 pm
memories
Swaying flowers,
passing hours,
birds in evergreens
happy smiles,
worth your whiles
and sappy little trees
muddy faces,
fraying laces,
and a gentle summer breeze
swaying flowers,
passing hours,
making memories
Wednesday 29th July 2015 4:09 pm
WOODLAND WONDER
WOODLAND WONDER
Gently caressed by the breath of the breeze,
branches sway atop tall lofty trees.
Restless leaves, to gnarled fingers, cling
wondering what freshness the new day will bring.
Hopping about on long leafy arms,
fluttering feathers displaying delicate charms.
Beautiful songbirds sing out their sweet melodies
in the grand performance of natures sweet harmony.
Bushy tailed...
Sunday 7th June 2015 10:17 am
Summer Awhaikuing
Stronger in numbers;
the leaves a deaf audience
clapping spring's last bow.
Saturday 16th May 2015 9:53 am
TREES - a re-post to welcome Spring
Springtime trees are newly born,
Their buds soon bursting through;
They wake at nature's New Year morn
To bid the Old adieu.
Summer trees are tall and green
Like children growing with love;
Responding to a force unseen
They praise the skies above.
Autumn trees are red and gold:
In majesty they stand;
And wear their colours - bright and bold
To decorate th...
Monday 9th March 2015 1:08 pm
I Never...
I never feel amiss, alone or as a stranger
On days when wandering amongst the trees,
When standing on the hilltop overlooking land of bountiful existence
Or looking at the life’s reflections in blue waters of the sea.
I never know rage, hate or urge of violence
At twilight times when rolling in the silky grass,
When sitting on the tree log by the brook watching appearance of...
Friday 3rd October 2014 10:31 am
I Feel Fall
I'm in love.
A soft breeze rustles the leaves on the trees just outside my window. All is silent save the ocean roaring in the distance at a rhythm too lovely for words. And the wooden clock in the corner holds his pace, savoring this time of night when his tick tick tick is finally heard. It's dark now, all around, except some photos sliding in and out on my computer screen.
I feel p...
Sunday 24th August 2014 11:26 pm
Tree Time
Apple, Plum, Orange, Lemon, Lime
All give us their sweet Fruits
Alder, Birch, Hawthorn and Sycamore
Spread from solid roots
Elder, Fern, Gingko, Hazel
Sweet Gum, Hornbeam, Fig
Bald and False Cypress, Beech
Grow their fearless twigs
There's Holly, Mountain, Ash and Pine
Poplar, Spruce and Yew
Elm, Eucalyptus, Cycad, Conifer
Walnut. Monkey Puzzle too
Japanese Snowbell, Shellback ...
Friday 14th March 2014 6:28 pm
Winterfylleth (October)
Winterfylleth (October)
We die! We die!
scream the old men
of the trees,
as their grip slips
from skeletal fingers
holding them aloft.
They fall to earth
in a blaze of golden glory,
coming to rest
at the feet of
great oaks, sycamores,
birch and elms.
Rustling in their cardigans
of orange and amber
like dry skin
in...
Friday 4th October 2013 11:53 am
Speeding on through Somewhereshire
Unfamiliar livery
Adorns familiar trains
Myriad trees, multi-shaped
Silent window frames
Station signs unreadable
A metal phonetic blur
Speeding on through Somewhereshire
On a train to who knows where
TK Maxx and Staples
Retail worship shrines
Ears burst in tunnels
As beneath the soil we dive
Conservatories and patios
Buzzing power lines
Tearing on th...
Monday 23rd September 2013 5:14 pm
Stay Positive
The hand reached into the pocket and pulled out lint. Expecting the worst, the lint was a better gift than anticipated. A cop asked me if there are any sharp objects she should know about, I say, "no", knowing that I have dirty tricks up my sleeve. I am arrested. It could always have been worse. So could I. But here I am. Jail Cell. Alone. No friends close. No bail. Alone. Surrounded by humans ...
Monday 3rd September 2012 7:29 pm
The Greenwood
THE GREENWOOD
Like a sea of dancing green,
Twisting and turning,
Like a sweet summer dream.
The roar of wooshing waves,
Through leaves of glistening verde.
A sound so sweet and relaxing,
Never forgotten, once heard.
The creak of bending branch,
Stretching with complaint.
The sigh of silent voices,
So gentle and so faint.
Natures ancient guardians,
Standing lofty and aloof.
Stand watch and offer protection,
Be...
Sunday 17th June 2012 9:10 pm
TREES
Springtime trees are newly born,
Their buds soon bursting through;
They wake at Nature's New Year morn
To bid the old adieu.
Summer trees are tall and green
And fill our hearts with love;
Responding to a force unseen
They praise the skies above.
Autumn trees are red and gold,
In majesty they stand,
And wear their colours bright and bold
To...
Thursday 5th January 2012 1:18 pm
The riot of spring
Into the riot of the spring
sirens are calling my soul
what the hell is wrong with me?
I feel like I'm a thousand years old
But I've just been a boy
who started a million fires
went down on his knees and then prayed
to catch another glimpse of your face
That day you were wearing a skirt
the day you made my knees shake
all that distant time
...Sunday 15th May 2011 11:40 pm
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