Thanks to JoAnn Early Macken at Teaching Authors who is hosting this final April Poetry Friday. JoAnn has a terrific "drip-drop" poem in response to all the rain happening in her part of the world. See all the poetic events in the sidebar.
"Writers don’t write from experience, although many are hesitant to admit that they don’t. If you wrote from experience, you’d get maybe one book, maybe three poems. Writers write from empathy." — Nikki Giovanni
See all the poetic events this month in the sidebar.
My goal for Poetry Month:
TINY THINGS. But this time I have a "BIG THING", although it began as a tiny thing, a seed. I was driving through a nearby neighborhood, and saw what you'll see in the following pictures. I had to stop, as did others, to see why this beautiful tree was being cut down. I was told it was showing signs of rot inside, and the city said it was too dangerous to stay. The owner, the man you see standing, told me he thought it could have stayed a few more years, but it was an "order" from the city. He was sad. About that same time, Michelle had given her April challenge from Today's Little Ditty, to write from one of the previous challenges. I thought of Joyce Kilmer's Trees, and knew that was the poem I would use for a parody/tribute, Tamera Will Wissinger's challenge, found here.
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| Click the photos to enlarge. |
I know now I’ll no longer see
a poem we name maple tree.
That tree grew here for eighty year.
It saw homes rise; paved roads appear.
We lingered in its summer shade,
the growing green where nests were made.
Its twirling seeds were nature’s toys,
the autumn’s crimson blazing joys.
While slumbering in snow and cold,
it showed no hint of the evil hold
of poisons placed in earth and air.
We knew only the beauty there.
The tree is down, memories depart.
It lies in pieces, like my heart.
Linda Baie ©
Also, Jone MacCullough at Check It Out has an annual tradition to have students send poetry postcards to those who request them sometime in early spring. You can see more postcards at Jone's blog. It's always a joy to find a poem in my mailbox, and here is the one I received this April. I love the illustration that Alicia used that seems to celebrate that Whining Wolf! Thanks, Alicia and Jone!
So Far-Tiny Things
April 1 - Two Plates - Thanksgiving
April 2 - In Each Mind's Eye - baby elephant
April 3 - Discovered April First - miniature book
April 4 - A Promise - peach seed
April 5 - haiku - one music note
April 6 - My Tiny List - must-do list
April 7 - Tiny Lights - window lights at dusk
April 8 - Cherita - pencil stub
April 9 - Apple Blooms - blooms/apple tree
April 10 - Walk to The Sea - salt crystals
April 10 - Walk to The Sea - salt crystals
April 11 - Sonnet Show & Tell - tiny key
April 12 - The Letter 'I'
April 13 - A Tiny Change - thermometer
April 14 - Birthday Candles
April 15 - Defined - dandelion
April 15 - Defined - dandelion
April 16 - One Minute
April 17 - The Letter "A"
April 18 - Tiny Treasure - rock
April 19 - haiku - tiny actions
April 22 - chickadee
April 23 - tiny shoes
April 24 - bits of time - book love
April 25 - pussytoes
April 26 - FACTS
April 27 - Spring Lion - dandelion
Oh, my goodness....what a lovely goodbye and tribute to the poem we knew as maple tree. I so enjoy your work. I try to never miss this blog on Poetry Friday. Many, MANY congratulations on your accomplished response to life this month through writing.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Linda! I've blogged all the way since the beginning of February, so am both proud and ready to take a break. This tree was huge, and it was so sad to see it down. I'm glad I wrote about it.
DeleteI agree with Linda M., this is a touching good-bye to a tree. It's so sad when a living thing that has been here before many of us, is destroyed. I loved all the pictures and the quote by Nikki G. Wonderful post, Linda.
ReplyDeleteWow, it's a "Linda" party! Thank you, it was sad to see that tree go. And the quote by Nikki Grimes fit my post just right. I liked it too, Linda.
DeleteSo sad when an elder tree is lost. I hope they plant another tree. Great quote and poem.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Brenda, I have an over one hundred year old tree in my garden and hope I never see it down. This indeed was sad.
DeleteI do hope that at least the wood finds new life somehow, and new purpose, so that it can live on in a new way!
ReplyDeleteI've been by several times. It looks like they're cutting most up to use for firewood. That very large part of the trunk is still intact, so I wonder if someone is going to use it for a sculpture. I will stop and ask if there is ever anyone there when I pass by. Thanks, Jane.
DeleteWhat a beautifully, sad poem Linda–but a wonderful tribute to the tree. Wish they didn't take the tree down, it didn't look like there was rot inside. Your poem reminds me of Shel Silverstein and the "Giving Tree." Love the bleeding hearts on the top, the quotes, and wolf postcard.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Michelle. Yes, I thought of The Giving Tree too. The workman showed me the evidence of rot. It didn't seem like a lot, but he said it weakens the tree quickly. I'm glad you like the quote!
DeleteLinda, your tribute to this majestic tree is beautiful. I love how you captured the tree's many moods. As Brenda said, I hope they plant a new tree. Thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeleteI'm sure they'll plant a new one, will keep watch! Thanks, Catherine.
DeleteSuch a lovely tribute to a grand old tree. We have maple trees in our front yard that need to come down because they are dying. As much as I hate to cut them, I'd hate even more for them to fall down through my roof! When the time comes, I may have to write a poem in their honor.
ReplyDeleteI guess this is the reason this tree was downed, to prevent damage to the home, and perhaps cars on the street. My mother-in-law had to cut a couple of maples too a long time ago. It's a terrible loss. Thanks, Kay.
DeleteI, too, have noticed a number of large, old trees being cut down lately--must be a springtime chore for city workers. I love "Its twirling seeds were nature’s toys." Moving tribute! It reminds me of a time when we were kids & a tree next to our house was about to be cut down to make room for a utility pole. My little sister went outside & yelled at the workers. They moved the pole over a few feet & saved the tree.
ReplyDeleteI'm happy to hear your story, JoAnn. Kudos to your sister! Perhaps more of us should do a little yelling! Thank you!
DeleteThis is so sad. You have captured this moment so well. I do hope the journey for this tree is not over.
ReplyDeleteMy granddaughter and I stopped by today so I could show her the remains. The large pieces are still intact, Kiesha, perhaps waiting for an artist to take them for some beautiful sculpture. I'll keep following up to see if I can find anything out. Thanks!
DeleteYour lovely poem reminds me of when we had to take down our own big tree, Linda - such a sad thing to see these beautiful beasts taken down.
ReplyDeleteOh, sad to hear about yours, Tara. When I think of all the trees gone through the years, it is sad. Thanks!
DeleteI am a lover of trees. My morning walks are full of bird song because I live among trees. I wonder how many birds lost their home or a resting place. So sad to see the remains of this magnificent tree. Your poem was a lovely tribute. You should gift it to your neighbor.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Margaret for sharing your feelings, and the idea too, to share. I grew up with lots of trees, but there was one special one in a grandparents' garden. I sat in that tree lots of hours reading and writing. Seeing this one cut down really touched me.
DeleteA tree being cut down is always sad. So sorry about this one.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Ruth. I appreciate your words.
DeleteOh good! I'm so glad you shared your beautiful poem, Linda! But oh, those photos... simply heartbreaking.
ReplyDeleteI took Ingrid to see it today, and took more pictures I wanted to show her how much this meant, too. Thanks, Michelle.
Delete"It lies in pieces, like my heart." I love trees and am always devastated to see one removed. When they took out the trees outside my classroom window in order to move portables there for the remodel, I threatened to chain myself to the trees. They did it on a Saturday. We memorized Kilmer's poem in fourth grade. You did a great job using it as a mentor text/model.
ReplyDeleteOh, I remember you sharing about those trees, Ramona now that you've reminded me. It was awful. Maybe we all have stories about trees through our lives. Thank you!
DeleteOh, Linda. I'm so sad about your tree. It always tears me apart to see a tree taken down, even when I know for safety reasons it had to happen. "The tree is down, memories depart. It lies in pieces, like my heart" resonates with me the most because a beloved tree -- "Scary Tree" -- along the path to our school vernal pool came down a few weeks ago. It had a wonderful "face" on the side that my Kindergarten students would wave to and say hello. We were devastated to learn it had come down in a recent storm. The good news is that in a forest, the fallen tree can now become a home and all-you-can-eat buffet to so many woodland creatures. I hope you took a piece of your tree! Best, Christie @ https://wonderingandwondering.wordpress.com/blog/
ReplyDeleteThat is sad, but since your school visits, it is a chance to see how the tree will provide other good things for the forest. I love hearing your story. Thank you!
DeleteYour parody works so well, especially with that heartfelt ending! I know it's sad to see trees come down, but we've had some mighty winds that brought healthy-looking trees crashing onto people's houses, so the powers-that-be have their reasons, I guess. Hopefully all that wood will be repurposed into something beautiful!
ReplyDeleteYes, I know they do fall, & do lots of damage, too. It's just sad to see anyway. I hope some artist will use those large pieces, too. Thanks, Violet.
DeleteYes, I really hate losing trees. We had a giant pine tree in our back yard. The extension agent said it was probably 250 years old, but it had rot in it's center. In fact, you could see all the way through the tree at one knotty point on the trunk. I was sad it had to come down, but it lived a long happy life stretching toward the sky.
ReplyDeleteI agree, and Wow, 250 years! Thanks for telling me, Dori!
DeleteI so connect with the subject of this post. We took out a tree on our property because it was dangerous, having lost one huge limb in a storm which fortunately didn't do damage though it landed on the roof of my son's three-story house (next door to us). I was fascinated and saddened by the whole process and in total awe of the man who scaled the tree to take it down piece by piece.
ReplyDeleteGorgeous poem...sad event.
ReplyDelete