one tree
Today, on a bicycle ride along the coast, I came across a tree, probably a pong-pong tree (cerbera odollam), all by itself, along the beach. A strange sight, because most of the trees,if not all, were in little clusters around.
This brought back some memories because as a child, us village kids would like to play around trees and came to learn which fruits are edible and which are poisonous. No, the tree that I came across today was not the old tree of our youth. That tree, and others, were probably cut down to make way for a container port.
But it did inspire the following poem. :)
photo by dsnake1
one tree
one tree
where the sea salt ever sprays
we played under its leaves
as children
laughing, mocking, crying.
now we are returning home
as old men
carrying
guilt, loss, scars
and still
she greets us
the tree
where the sea salt still sprays
her leaves waving in the wind
embracing us
as children.
this tree.
30/11/2014
**********
Shared on Poetry Pantry #229 at Poets United.
Hope to be back next week with a better poem. :)
© cheong lee san ( dsnake1 ) 2014
This brought back some memories because as a child, us village kids would like to play around trees and came to learn which fruits are edible and which are poisonous. No, the tree that I came across today was not the old tree of our youth. That tree, and others, were probably cut down to make way for a container port.
But it did inspire the following poem. :)
one tree
one tree
where the sea salt ever sprays
we played under its leaves
as children
laughing, mocking, crying.
now we are returning home
as old men
carrying
guilt, loss, scars
and still
she greets us
the tree
where the sea salt still sprays
her leaves waving in the wind
embracing us
as children.
this tree.
30/11/2014
**********
Shared on Poetry Pantry #229 at Poets United.
Hope to be back next week with a better poem. :)
© cheong lee san ( dsnake1 ) 2014
posted by dsnake1 at 11:45 PM
12 Comments:
its cool...there are several trees where we used to play...some still there...some gone....still the memories were think there...
ha we learned which were good and poisonous as well...
This reminds me of the book The Giving Tree, because she gave her entire life to the child, the man, the old man........the image of old men returning to the tree they played under as children is so poignant........
I had a favorite childhood tree too...actually two of them. One was a weeping willow, the other an apple tree.. Your poem caused me to remember.....and I bet it will cause others to remember too.
trees see a lot of our lives. beautiful.
I love the thought of revisiting a tree still standing there.. I think I would become a child again underneath
Some things seem eternal, no matter how we may change ourselves. Nicely done
I like this one. Feels so like truth that the background isn't needed for it to hold us spell bound.
What a moving reminder of the constancy of nature even as we are so changed by fleeting Time.
a wise, indulgent tree...nice lines :)
Brian,
it's good to hear from you!
i guess it's the same everywhere, the tropics or your USA. we learned, somehow, which fruits are edible and which are poisonous. :)
Sherry,
you are so connected with Nature, this poem surely will move you. :)
i have to look up The Giving Tree and boy what a lovely and moving tale it tells. and it's called a children's book. we are always learning new stuff, aren't we?
Mary,
I guess each one of us has his or her favourite childhood tree, but we would climb everyone that we came upon. ah, those carefree, dangerous days. :)
Natasa,
they do! :)
Bjorn,
:)
i wrote this poem after i saw a father playing football with his sons under the tree. the memories just came back.
Steve,
thanks for the visit!
oh yes, some things seem eternal, no matter how we may have changed.
G L,
thank you!
and to think i was not too satisfied with this work originally. :)
C C,
thank you for your wonderful comment. :)
Sumana,
thank you! :)
And the tree who is no guardian of time welcomes you as if your visit had been yesterday.
Whimsical verse
Moonie, thanks for the visit!
ah, the trees will always outlive us humans. :)
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