THE TREE ON EVERGREEN AVENUE
I grew up on a street named Evergreen
Though no evergreen there grew
But in front of my window was a nameless tree
Ignored by me
I don't remember noticing
If it was pretty in Spring
Or shivered in frost
Or if it was happy to just be
There watching me grow
But now that I know
About the wisdom of trees
I wonder how my nameless tree influenced me
As I danced before the mirror, learning new steps
Talked with friends discussing styles, trends
Cried when that boy broke my heart
Struggled to learn, be brave, grow up
Maybe some day I'll go see
If my nameless tree still remains
Will it remember me
Will it simply be
There
Like all trees
Like all trees
Generous, knowledgeable, self assured
Watching, even if ignored
Breathing earth's beauty
Inhaling it's scent
Enduring its growing pains
Inhaling it's scent
Enduring its growing pains
Like a mother
Waiting for her infant
Your tree reminds me of a big tree outside my bedroom window when I was a teen - it listened to me singing by the hour, dappled my room with cool shadows in summer. I think maybe it liked music. Sometimes I caught her dancing!
ReplyDeleteThis is beautiful, and speaks loudly to my tree loving self.
ReplyDeleteMy most favourite fictional character is the Ents and I still mourn the disappearance of the Entwives.
I often see a tree somewhere and wonder what stories it could tell! I hope you revisit your tree one day!
ReplyDeleteAwesome piece!I have many of those friends and "Mothers
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful observation of life and it's meaning using the tree as an example of what you can learn to understand what it is all about!
ReplyDeleteVery nicely written! I like the gentle rhymes.
ReplyDeleteThe tree didn't mind if you didn't notice it; it gave of its gifts anyway, fulfilling its purpose – and besides, you did notice it subconsciously, or you wouldn't have been able to remember and appreciate now. (As you may have gathered, I was totally engaged by this poem.)
ReplyDeleteMyrna, I'm going to categorize this as a "I wish I had written that" file. Makes me glad when someone has a tree as a subject. I mean, it's in my moniker ;) Ha!
ReplyDeleteLuv your impressions of that tree
ReplyDeleteHappy Sunday
Much💝love
Oh this makes me want to meet this nameless tree who shared so much of your history I enjoyed this
ReplyDeleteIts wonderful. Everyone should visit their old hsunts every now and then.
ReplyDeleteWe live on "Yxyxy Forest Trail" though the only forest is from the two oak trees we are required to have growing in our front lawns. And the "Trail" is a cement street that came when the rice field was turned into a suburb.
I hope for the writer to find a tree in hers.
..
I bet the tree has a collection of stories. I bet it's watching... and it always did. I bet it remembers.
ReplyDeleteThe trees observe more than we can imagine. A truly poignant and memorable write, Myrna!❤️
ReplyDeleteLovely...I wonder how much the tree was there, adding to the texture of your impressions without your noticing it.
ReplyDeleteThe trees is probably not there anymore. People don't like trees.They make mess by shedding leaves. Birds wake them up in the morning.They prefer concrete apartment blocks living like caged rats on top of each other.
ReplyDeleteLove your poem, Myrna. It reminds of my own childhood, so many things to love about trees yet we often take them for granted. Beautiful write!
ReplyDeleteEach aspect of nature playing its part perfectly - always benevolent tree, adolescent child and reminiscing adult!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful words
ReplyDelete