It's Poetry Friday, and Irene Latham is hosting HERE on her website, Live Your Poem! She's sharing various news, a reminder of a poetry call, and two spectacular poems about birds. Don't miss visiting! And, thanks for hosting, Irene.
I often visit the cemetery where my husband is, have become familiar with the flora and fauna, and it feels like a haven for all there, and for those, like me, who visit and find memories and solace. It's been twelve years, and I've watched flowers grow and bloom, trees bring new green, then new color, then fill the grounds with crunch as I walk. But one, not a very old tree, an oak, does not lose its leaves. They remain, and were there this week when I went. And so I wrote. . .
No, Not Leaving!
When other trees are bare,
Their leaves have gone to ground.
They don our autumn’s name of fall,
Swirling round and round.
Yet oak leaves dilly-dally
Till spring youngsters take their place.
They wish to stretch life longer
Their “leave-ing’s” sad to face.
Linda Baie ©
If you wish to know the scientific explanation of this intriguing action by both oak and beech trees, "this phenomenon of deciduous leaves persisting past the end of the growing season called “marcescence”, go HERE to The International Oak Society.
And, I hope you saw that beautiful full "cold" moon Thursday night! Awesome!
Linda, I love that you wrote about marcescence! Our woods are sprinkled with beech trees (also marcescent), so right now they are showing themselves beautifully as all the other trees are bare. I also love that you are a frequent visitor to the cemetery. Can't believe it's been 12 years. Love to you, friend! xo
ReplyDeleteAnd I love that you have beech trees, Irene! Thanks for letting me know! Hugs back to you!
DeleteHad so much fun reading your poem, Linda! Great work :) Like Irene, I can't believe it's been 12 years already. So glad visiting Arvie is a solace and comfort. xo
ReplyDeleteThank you, Tabatha, whenever I visit, I feel so lucky that Arvie was in my life. I'm still missing that time, however, but memories help!
DeleteLove your poem and learning a new word, "marcescence"! We have a few oaks who retain their leaves but I didn't know there was a name for it. Today they've got a little winter frosting sugar on them. Yes, hard to believe it's been 12 years. Hugs to you!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Jama, that's super that you learned about this new word from nature! The details "outside" astound me often.
DeleteThank you, Linda, for sharing a new concept for me, marcescence, and your lovely poem with that poignant last line: "Their leave-ings hard to face." Such a powerful and resonant connection between a cemetery visit and nature. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteThanks for teaching me this new word and concept, Linda! I thought I knew about trees, but obviously there is always more to learn. Your last line is powerful and universal in its meaning.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Mona & Rose, I'm so glad to share some more tree facts with you, interesting, yes?
ReplyDeleteSuch a sweet poem, Linda! Your husband was a special man, I know. It's good to read your words, I've been on PF on and off this year and I think you have been too. Have a happy holiday with your family. Nice picture of you on Irene's blog by your bookstore!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Janice, for your kind words. I love hearing from you!
DeleteLinda, you are like the marcescent oak, holding your memories of Arvie far into the present and future. It's a good kind of dilly-dally. ☺️
ReplyDeleteLove your idea of that, Heidi! Thank you!
DeleteAnd yes, what a moon!
ReplyDeleteYou have a wonderful ability to notice and note in your poems. This one feels light and fun-filled (Love the word dilly-dally), even amidst its presence in the cemetery. 12 years seems to have flown by. I was recently chatting with my sister about our parents’ death and how the grief never leaves us, much like those oak leaves clinging.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Margaret, & for the link between the oak leaves & our grief holding on!
DeleteLike so many other readers, I thank you for the term marcescence and the reminder that if I have noticed and cherished some facet of the natural world, I am certainly not the only one and science has likely assigned it a term...and poets have used such term in metaphors. I just crossed the line into Senior Citizen (on the day of the spectacular Super Moon!) and it seems that aging well is a sort of marcescence. We protect the young of the next generation for as long as we are able, until they are fully ready, before we let go and let them leaf the tree.
ReplyDeleteIt's wonderful world in which we live, wishing everyone would have the chance to take time in our natural world, adding bits they see for all. Mary Lee, your observation at the end brings such a good feeling of our lives lived and our gifts to the young. Happy Birthday, too! What a lovely day to celebrate!
DeleteI've loved watching a hawk in the neighbor's yard all week and the birds at the feeder. As for that full moon, I was surprised by it as I drove home from babysitting at daughter's home. I love how it kept pace with me and seemed to move through the night sky with me. Love your use of dilly dally, such a fun word. This is a month filled with loss of loved ones for our family. Your poem is lovely! Good to be back with poetry friends!
ReplyDeleteOh, wonderful to watch a hawk regularly, Ramona. Sometimes I see them flying (high) over the neighborhood, but rarely very close. Thanks for touching base, sorry for your losses to remember this month. Happiest of holidays for you & all!
DeleteWow! I never really noticed just how much those oak leaves hang on. I've seen it my whole life but your poem gives me a fresh look at this. Thank you! And, I'm full of love for a poem crafted in a cemetery. I love cemeteries...ones with my loved ones and ones of people I am not connected to. I find the peace of the place attractive. It's a great place to remember and write.
ReplyDeleteAh, blogger...it is me...Linda M.
DeleteThanks, Linda. This cemetery is close is close to me & to where my school is. It has a wonderful history & I took my studens there often to learn about it and to study certain parts. When I go there are lots of people walking or cycling through.
DeleteI love this especially this word: marcescence. I always think do the trees have a secret contest to keep their leave the longest?
ReplyDeleteLove the idea of a contest, Jone! Thanks!
DeleteLinda, I love all that is at play here -- a tree who is not yet ready to "leave" -- in a place where you find your husband's spirit and where you find comfort and familiarity. There is so much depth in the lingering. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteThank you, too, Patricia, it has become a special place to me.
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