Testament

a ghostly encounter:)

Testament

 

You flourished,

within the constrain,

of a concrete sidewalk.

Malnourished,

twisted, gnarled remains

a stump headstone mocks;

testament,

to your lofty defiance.

Once eclipsed,

by the structural… indifference

of societal progress.

I cannot help,

But feel,

A kinship,

As I see…

you’re ghostly outstretched branches,

reaching…

to drink the light;

As it seems…

I am forever,

trying to do.

I hear,

the spectral sound,

of the breeze,

creaking your tired limbs;

As this old poet

walks by…

joints grinding,

in a sympathetic note.

and the faint hiss,

of the swaying leaves…

of your shadowy canopy.

And I hear the rustle,

of your lost intentions…

drifting on the sidewalk;

like so many scrawls,

I penned,

reduced to dust…

in the decay of time.

But, this poet…

still sees you.

 

© 2022 Robert Trakofler

Author's Note

Robert · Testament

Reviews

[Kelly Scheppers]

Hey Robert, how are you? It's been a while since I've read you, but you've overwhelmingly made up for lost time. I wholeheartedly agree with everyone here, this by far eclipses anything you've ever written. What a pleasure it is to be among such caliber of writing!

[Robert Trakofler]

Kelly:) it's so nice to hear from you! I manage to put pen to paper a little more often these days (and to read) I'm definitely not as prolific as i once was but I think I've gotten more picky in my old age LOL:/

[Becks/Beckie]

This is so wonderful, i enjoyed this a lot

[Robert Trakofler]

thank you, Beck:) I may be part tree LOL

[Crowley]

I can definitely identify with these words BB. A great picture and an inspired write for sure. That could probably be my facebook photo these days...lol. Great work!

[Robert Trakofler]

Hi Crowley how are you old friend? I am still slogging around:/ LOL you remind me I have got to change my picture it's been a while I don't think it will be as pretty as that tree stump tho, but then again who can compare?

[Julie McCarthy (juliesp..]

This is a truly brilliant poem
I loved it all
The fact that you can still see and hear the leaves swaying is true
It’s like a soldier who loses a limb
He remembers and thinks it’s there
I love this

[Robert Trakofler]

thank you Julie:)

[Cherrie Palmer]

Yes what some see as an intrusion. With sap dripping on cars, or autumn litter sticking to windshields. The seer sees only the beauty and the gift that nature is no matter where it grows or grew.

[Robert Trakofler]

I think I love the beauty of resilience in the face of adversity so very much

[William Michael Reeves]

Olde as a tree. And the paper you pen upon was once a tree, that tried to grow where you were nearly laid ~ from the grave you were thankfully free. But seeds of progress, fertilized by society, grew in the dust of words at the foot of the stone. The seeds were sown indifferent as bone ... I believe this is what I see.

Billigami

[Robert Trakofler]

wow, what interesting things you see... I love when that happens and I reread a poem and see something different:)

[Tate Morgan]

Your finest work so far. Well done

[Robert Trakofler]

Tate how nice to see you:) thank you for the nice compliment!

[Tate Morgan]

You’re welcome

[Carola]

hi robert, to me this reads as an emotional poem of an old tree that once was & maybe its similarities to old age.
hope my understanding is how you wanted people to interpret your poem, I'm not always good with understanding esoteric writing, I'm a straight narrative style writer,
cheerio carola

[Patricia]

this is terrific writing! I really enjoyed this piece. It reminds me of Charles Bukowski's writing and he is a favorite of mine among others but yes, similar but you have your own flair. The piece is haunting in your comparison of aging to an old stump, which by the way is so original and one can easily feel the emotion in the written words. Even the strongest of us will weaken with time and will be cut down by it and decay. This is very, very good! You get all the points from me and in my library :)

[Robert Trakofler]

Hi Patricia:) So sorry I took so long to respond I am still in recovery mode and keeping my store open LOL I get tired very easily these days but I am getting much better:)

[Patricia]

that is quite understandable and I too have been crazy busy and behind in my responses as well. And you are welcome. Be well and God bless.

[S.zaynab.kamoonpury]

Wow i interpret this to be a tree which is a testament to its resolute willpower to survive all odds and tempests, it still drinking of the light despite being felled, you have depicted it awesomely with fab muse inking. Kudos!!

Plz also check out my two newest poems and then pleez comment on one of these two poems that you prefer. Thanks