The Tree that Wouldn't Shut Up!

I hated to pass the talking tree,

It made me feel all undone,

Raveling on in its revery

Like a racquet, coming unstrung,

What made it worse was the silken voice

Not matching a stringybark’s,

If I’d been offered a simple choice

I’d rather the voice was harsh.

It tried to attract my attention there

Each time I ventured to pass,

‘What are you going to do, just stare?’

It said, ‘Well, kiss my a*s!’

It always tried to embarrass me

By being uncouth, and loose,

I said, ‘You’re surely the rudest tree,

We haven’t been introduced.’

It quoted Coleridge by the ream

Whenever I wore my hat,

‘A painted ship on a painted sea,

Now what do you think of that?’

‘I don’t know where you borrowed that line

I said, I have no notion, it’s

“As idle as a painted ship

Upon a painted ocean!”’

It used to sulk when it got it wrong

To wave its trunk with a clatter,

‘Who’d believe,’ it would say to me,

‘That getting it right would matter?’

‘I think He would, old S.T.C.

Would listen, hear, and note it,

Nor be impressed that a talking tree

Would get it wrong, and quote it.’

I turned up there with a saw one day

And the talking tree had cried,

‘I say, I’m not going to cut you down,’

I said, but it knew I lied.

For‘April is the cruellest month,’

I said, and I wasn’t kidding,

I saw through its Eliot, silenced its Pound

And cut off its Little Gidding.

David Lewis Paget

Reviews

[Barbz]

"Friendship is a sheltering tree" is a quote from Poet S.T.C. (Samuel Taylor Coleridge). That is the reason that I found this poem so interesting. It just goes to show that even good friends can curse you and should and must be stilled. I really enjoyed this loud message in your quiet voice. One can relate to this great work on many levels. keep up the great work...Barbz

[TPK Stories]

Loved how you brought the famous poets into this work. Good writing David.

[ANTO]

You took Pound Coleridge Eliot and mixed them with a dash of Benny Hilly here David. Some nudge nudge wink wink suits you Sir !
Nice one.

[Ovi-Odiete]

Immense,
Humorous,
Intelligent and
Witty....

[IamRealTusoul]

Awesome piece "cut down any tie that drains energy from you"

[No one]

Well, I could imagine every line into a a scene described by those words; the ending was nice!
Loved this for a lot

[R Smith]

haha wonderful writing David, I swear that tree had it coming but did they turn the wood into the pages of a book, NOT! a talking book! aaaaarrrrrggghhh :)

[softlyfall]

This is intelligent and sensitive. I am thrilled to have found such seasoned writing here. I had begun to think this site was a forum for very young, new writers.

[Dan Means]

Sometimes you come across a line that you'd give your left pinkie to have written.... "I hated to pass the talking tree, it made me feel all undone".

[Mica Morgan]

Amazing the annoyance that can be caused by a tree with a bit of an attitude. Luckily cutting down a tree isn't a crime, or we'd all be serial killers.

On a totally different note , I loved the allusions to the various poets, particularly TS Eliot and Samuel Taylor Coleridge.

[Coyote Poetry]

I enjoyed the poem. I like the life given to the tree.The thoughts and the conversation was amazing. I liked the ending. Thank you for sharing the outstanding poetry.
Coyote