Monday 10 October 2011

Tree


i walk up the sloping hill
summer heat prickling pale skin
fallen frangipani petals on ground

mango tree stood at the crest 
same spot for last five decades
now bare to the bones, drooping

grimacing at each labored breath
dark lines under arms, draping
tubes of oxygen, unwanted leis 

small brown roots, shrubs peek 
under long shadows, tender shoots
vibrant green, facing the sun

nearby a narrow river flows
red stone lantern gazes serenely 
gray stepping stones, rock garden

bonsai, mosses hush in eye of storm
boulders of white pebbles stack
neatly like rosary beads in my hand




Author's Note:   I traveled last week to visit my ailing parents, specially my mom.  Yesterday after her surgery, she is now recovering, and hopefully out of the woods.
Hope to visit you soon~

Posted for D'verse Poets Pub-OpenLinkNight and Imaginary Garden with Real Toads.
The Gooseberry Garden: Poetry Picnic Week 8: Friends, Relationships and Everyone around

Picture credit:  http://silent-musings.tumblr.com/

36 comments:

  1. Best wishes to you and your parents, dear.

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  2. Best wishes to you and your parents. I hope they feel better soon.

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  3. feel better my friend, best wishes :)

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  4. Stunning imagery! Sweet moments in time held within the hand of memories. Hope all feel better soon.

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  5. i am sorry for what you are walking through...never easy with ailing parents...i am glad she has come through...i hope / pray for continued progress...

    nice verse....

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  6. Sending happy health rays your way...

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  7. Sending you and your family good thoughts, especially a speedy recovery for your mom. I love the last lines of your poem -- the imagery like rosary beads in your hand.

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  8. Hope all continues for the better and quite the walk in your verse as well, vividly told.

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  9. wishing your parents good health & much love & support. beautiful poem!

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  10. The references to nature were beautifully defined - I understood why the mango tree has been personified as ailing after I read your author's note. I particularly like the image which you left with the reader - the patience of counting stones.

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  11. also best wishes. This is a very insightful piece and I really like the last stanza

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  12. Thank you for the best wishes, kind thoughts and prayers.

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  13. all the best for your parents heaven and nice metaphor with the nature images

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  14. I love where your words take me and to end up in your palm was just the perfect place to land.

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  15. Sending you lots of love and positive energy Heaven. Best wishes and prayers for a speedy recovery for your Parent! Stay strong.

    ...and yes ,as always, Beautiful poem.

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  16. out of the woods she'll be after this heart felt words you write Heaven
    the best for you

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  17. I hope your mom makes a speedy recovery. It isn't easy for folks when they get older and begin to lose their independence.
    Lovely write!

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  18. Best wishes fr your parents, Heaven. Lovely imagery in your poem..

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  19. seems like your parents are in a good environment for healing.

    what could be more peaceful than under a mango tree?

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  20. Prayers for your strength and your mom....

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  21. nice window of time you've taken us on... do like the pale skin at the beginning and the white pebbles at the end

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  22. I hope all will be well. You did a great job of melding the natural and human imagery. Or perhaps you recognized that it's all one. Very fine poem.

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  23. Love and well wishes to Mom from all of us at the pub. Trying and difficult times...none the less, a wonderful and poetic moment has been penned...write your way through!

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  24. Beautifully evocative-- very true to itself in the sense of unifying imagery-- xxxj

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  25. Not certain if this was your intention, but this was like a collection of modified haiku, unified into a wonderfully captivating piece -- nicely done...!

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  26. An evocative and settling metaphor - and though I may sound like a broken record here, in echoing others, I do wish the best to you and your family. Such times are never easy, even in the recovery period.

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  27. Warm thoughts for you and your parents.

    There's a poignant harmony between natural beauty and decay in this poem that speaks of peace amidst sadness. You describe my landscape here - mango trees don't grow north of central Florida. They're my favorite fruit.

    Peace to you.

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  28. So poignant, the mango

    "now bare to the bones, drooping."

    May the plumeria blossom brightly again for you all, and the fruit of the mango again be sweet!

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  29. Hope you feel better soon best wished to you and your parents
    http://gatelesspassage.com/2011/10/11/the-day-of-the-dead/

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  30. A fine poem. A beautiful poem. I still see those petals.

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  31. Wishing you well and also for your kind folks. A beautiful verse!

    Hank

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  32. Very nice piece. The metaphor is pretty much perfect here. Love the natural elements within the piece. Very good read, thanks. And hope all gets better soon for you and your parents. I'll keep your mother's healthy recovery in my prayers.

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  33. I'm so sorry, Heaven. I'm going through the same with my aging parents and my brother, dying of cancer, eaten away.

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  34. Thank you for giving us this glimpse -- wonderful.
    Hugs to you and your parents.

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  35. It's interesting the scene reflects the thoughts of the narrator -- from the mango tree to the boulders of white pebbles reflecting prayer.

    I read your note too. Best wishes to your mother's recovery.

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  36. lovely words...nicely crafted lines!

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