Tuesday, August 2, 2011

In Tandem #4, "The Oak Tree"

Art Work Courtesy of Jinsky

The Oak Tree

I searched for arms protective
gallantly, twisted with age,
an old sweet comfort yearned for

to help me whisper goodbye.

The dappled path familiar
I searched for a place
where I once, in secret code
entrusted

my carved youthful affection.

I searched for meaning
under the once sheltering haven
my hand caressed the life rings.
tragically butchered.

Just like my first love,

 FP.

With knees aching I stood,
dangling catkins tickled my face
the ground sprinkled with confetti seeds;
and the promise

of new life.


by Margaret Bednar, Art Happens 365, August 2, 2011

This is for "In Tandem #4".  This also happened to coincide with "Poetry Jam's" theme this week - poems for those who have passed away from us here on this earth.  

17 comments:

  1. Una perfetta armonia di colori!
    Have a nice day
    Ciao
    Matteo

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  2. Ah! I see you found this without needing my email! LOL. I love the story it called forth from you. Thanks for playing, Margaret.♥

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  3. Such a delight and very creative use of the prompt. How many of us can remember such trees and initials and changes.

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  4. Mattteo, JuniBears, Ann & Jinksy - Thank you for the kind words. My childhood memories are filled with my childhood "crush". He never thought of me as anything other than a young friend, and maybe that was the charm... :)

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  5. i like the feel of life circling, cycling.

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  6. i like the ackowledge to new life there in the end...it lightens the piece a bit...

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  7. Beautiful poem. It is always so hard to say good-bye.

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  8. Lovely poem about death & life.

    Sometimes those early crushes are the best - if they're never fulfilled then they're always filled with promise.

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  9. This is a lovely -- a fine poem-- and if poetry is new to you, you have a gift for it!

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  10. Speculative and emotional piece... I love dappled path.

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  11. I like these lines:

    "I searched for meaning
    under the once sheltering haven
    my hand caressed the life rings.
    tragically butchered."

    Happy sunday ~

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  12. "I searched for arms protective
    gallantly, twisted with age,
    an old sweet comfort yearned for

    to help me whisper goodbye."

    This makes me think with love of my grandmother.
    I agree with Brian about the lovely and almost uplifting ending.

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  13. Wonderful tribute -- the power of old trees goes beyond the tree itself.

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  14. Lovely smoothly honed poem which turns nicely at the end.
    I don't like 'dappled' but that's my own particular foible and is no reflection on its merit in the poem!

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  15. Like Jinksy, I enjoyed seeing what story the artwork drew from you. The seed image is redemptive. Around here we call 'em acorns.

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  16. 'tragically butchered' is capable of a couple of interpretations which makes it most interesting.

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