Dead Wood of the Damson

This tree was a provider of fruit and joy for over 30 years

No longer will white blossom fall

to soften where I tread,

nor fruit will stain the garden path

in clots of purplish red.

So sawdust scatters to the wind

while kindling breaks on ground.

Logs are stacked against the wall

and sorrow lurks all around.

I counted rings that spoke to me

of seasons long departed,

the parting of this lovely tree

has left me broken-hearted.

Some may say it was just a tree,

but oh what joy it gave to me.

Reviews

[light and ashes]

When will Society realize that we can't eat money??....and neither can the birds or the bees.
All of these things provide us with life and joy for life..
For all of it's advantages, machines, and technology, Society is so stupid.
Your poem was well felt and as well as your message heard.

[Chris Shaw]

Thank you my friend. I hate it when wonderful trees are felled to make way for housing. There are plenty of brown sites where homes could be built without our green belt suffering. The developers won’t be happy until all we have left is a concrete mass. I appreciate you stopping by.

Chris

[light and ashes]

You are very welcome. They only think that they would be happy. If plant life died off then so would we.

[light and ashes]

Soon enough, they would be dead......

[Ardra]

Mmmm beautiful share...
I had a special tree in skool.... loved speaking to it... lol
Sometimes I thought if it was ever to be made as drum it would sing all my stories hehehe...
Was bit crazy from early childhood I suppose .. ;)
They have life and they can hear us...it's beautiful when we can connect...n when we loose them it's the sad part...

[Chris Shaw]

Thank you Ardra, I think it's great to connect to the natural world, and trees will always have a special place in my heart.

Chris

[Mrudula Rani]

What a beautiful elegy for an old damson tree. You are a soft hearted sentimentalist, C.
30 years living with a tree, and its sudden demise can break a heart. How about planting a new sapling in its honor?

[Chris Shaw]

Thank you M. I may well do just that.

Chris

[Terathopius]

Another great piece, Christine. It resonates with me, having lived close to nature a good portion of my life and bearing witness to beauty being destroyed in fractions of the time it took to create. Most recently, there was an ancient apple orchard whose trees must have been close to a century old, if not older. I drove past it regularly. One day I passed it by to see every single tree had been felled for no apparent reason. Nothing has been done with the land since, either. Ridiculous.
Sorry for your loss.

[Chris Shaw]

Thank you Terathopius for your thoughtful response.

Chris

[charlie]

I, too, have been through this. It was a plum tree. over eighty years old. it had stories.

[Chris Shaw]

Yes, those trees have stories. Bet you missed your plum tree too.

Chris

[Jon Roggie]

I still miss my lemon tree. The blossoms would do me in, but it was worth the fruit.

[Chris Shaw]

Hello Jon, I can understand your feelings entirely. How lovely to have had fresh lemons. Not something I will ever have in the climate we have in the UK. Thank you for reading.

Chris

[sette]

i love the connection you have with works of nature and the simple happiness or pleasure you have experienced.. it is so true that when a person is at peace with nature, she is also at peace with herself.

[Chris Shaw]

Your comments are so true sette, my love for nature has indeed given me peace. When times get tough, I turn to the natural environment for healing. Thank you

Chris

[Annette Pisano-Higley]

Chris, your poem is so original and beautiful. What a great theme and message. Great verse structure, flow, cadence, rhyme. In today’s world, history is ‘dispensable’ for the sake of ‘progress’. Your Damson tree was an important and valued part of your life for many years, and your words lyrically describe your deep sense of loss at its being cut down. “I counted rings that spoke to me”- profound, majestic line that resonates in me. So very sad. The title says it all.

[Chris Shaw]

Yes Annette, I have a love for trees, especially the ones in my garden. Having lost three fruit trees over the years, I do get a sense of loss after the demise of each one. We used to have greengages, cherries and damsons, and now we have none. You are right to pick up on the sadness. Thank you for your very thoughtful review.

Chris

[barleygirl]

I’m not a tree-hugger, but I do have a strong connection to the trees I’ve lived near. Your poem is the perfect tribute to a leafy friend & I love the way you open with the tree’s flaws . . . so many times people remove a tree for such reasons & I’m thinking, really? Is it better to not have that shade just to get rid of the berry stains? People have always mystified me, when it comes to tastes in yards! I love the way you pick the most unexpected yet relatable details to bring a poem like this alive (((HUGS))) Fondly, Margie

[Chris Shaw]

I confess Margie, I am a tree hugger. The tree died a natural death, I would never have had it cut down. I loved it for warts and all. The stain on the paving used to look pretty gruesome in autumn, but the jam was divine. I literally am a tree hugger. I embraced an 800 year old oak once. Five times the width of my embrace it was. Had to keep walking round it. fingertips outstretched. Thank you Margie (( ))

[barleygirl]

Smile-provoking share! *smile*

[Jimmy Yetts]

Lovely, insightful portrait of your longtime pulpy friend.
A genuine loss!

[Chris Shaw]

Thank you Jimmy. All that lovely damson jam over the years, all that beauty, and shelter, now just a memory. I did keep a piece of the wood though for old times sake. Got a candle resting on it.