There used to be stories to tell till
the mind grew more still.
The I became she – and she
pulled out my new suitcase
and filled it with things not wanted anymore:
ferragamo heels and a lily pulitzer dress
and a tape from a soap opera i was in
on a forgotten cable channel.
She said she knew a place with a better address.
Still she comes to visit;
we sit with tea.
She is forever lacing our drinks with her
special sugars
that turn bitter
then poisonous.
When she leaves, I listen for the sound of her
clacking shoes to fade away,
and I am left with what she didn’t take:
cicada symphonies rising in crescendo with
the owl outside my window, and
my secret love affair with a tree
that bows to me in the heavy rain.
When I bow back, I am careful to be lower
than his crown,
muddying my lips on his roots.
Very stirring to the soul. “cicada symphonies” and the best love affairs are with trees. Hope all is flowing well with you 🙂
Only kindred know about the trees 🙂 Good flow here. A certain weariness of the extended strain has lifted to reveal again the joy. Hope you are enjoying your day! So nice to know every single day you have a forehead slapping quote or morsel 🙂
I swear that trees actually hug back! They are such wonderful givers of unconditional love. Forehead slapping quotes and morsels, I like that, thanks! 🙂
Do you remember when tree hugger was an insult? I too get that vibe from trees, but also find Castaneda’s and Tolkien’s take on the indifferent or slightly hostile trees interesting. Hope you get to hug a tree today:)
Such a beautiful and somber tone. Reverence for both what goes and what remains
Thank you for your fresh eyes; I see in a new way through your descriptions, here!
That’s a wow.
🙂
Loved this. I, too, have love affairs with trees.
I would have imagined that to be so from your writing. I find myself sharing these unspoken truths and am amazed to find the same truths in others. thank you for sharing your time/attention with me today!