I ... entered the poem of life, whose purpose is ... simply to witness the beauties of the world, to discover the many forms that love can take. (Barabara Blackman in 'Glass After Glass')

These poems are works in progress and may be updated without notice. Nevertheless copyright applies to all writings here and all photos (which are either my own or used with permission). Thank you for your comments. I read and appreciate them all, and reply here to specific points that seem to need it — or as I have the leisure. Otherwise I reciprocate by reading and commenting on your blog posts as much as possible.

8 May 2014

The Boy Who Climbs My Branches

He is seven. Or is he ten?
Every weekend he arrives
when the morning is still early
and comes up to nest like a bird.

Like others before him, he strives
to go higher each time, so high
that one day he couldn't get down.
But he cried out, and he was heard.

His father came with a ladder.
And I remembered when the man
was a boy climbing to the sky
through my branches. But not a word!

I keep the secrets of their lives —
all those young boys who long to fly.


dVerse asks for a poem from the point of view of a tree; Poetic Asides asks for a poem about a boy who — [fill in the blank].  And I wanted to try the bref double form. I'm delighted this poem also fits the current Poets United Midweek Motif, which is Children

29 comments:

  1. nice....cool poem....the constant watcher of the family...and watching his 'little boy' grow up as well...from climbing him to...this made me smile...

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  2. smiles... i loved to climb trees as well.. and it's good that a tree knows how to keep a secret...smiles

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    1. My brother and I were both tree climbers, and he did get stuck up a very tall one once. :) It was his friend who ran to get help from both fathers,. Me, I was more the nester, finding a secure fork in the branches to sit and read.

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  3. Oh, I am sure that one can trust trees with those secrets! Love the mention of both the father and the son as climbers.....

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    1. Yes, trees are very special! I liked the idea of generations of little boys climbing the same tree.

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  4. A tree like this ... a true friend.. a guardian.. much like trees in old farms here in Sweden.. I like the form.. one to try sometimes.

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    1. Bjorn, that is exactly the idea I was trying to convey! (I very nearly used the word "guard" for the secrets.)

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  5. I am not familiar with the form but, I did enjoy the poem..

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    1. There's a link on the name of the form. It was new to me too, but easy to get the hang of.

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  6. This brings a smile as I love climbing trees when I was young ~ Good for the trees to keep secrets ~ Enjoyed this lovely story ~

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  7. very cool final couplet. the form suits the subject, too ~

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  8. Having two boys, I can totally relate to this!

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    1. I had two boys as well - daredevils who had many hair-raising adventures. :)

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  9. encouraging my kids to climb up into the fork of the old apple tree is a treasured memory

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  10. A nice perspective on part of the tree.

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  11. How absolutely beautiful to show the continuity as the tree, silent watcher, enjoying its secrets. The poem feels like a sonnet to me with its strong meter and its love.

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    1. It is a bit sonnet-like. The bref double is a quatorzain, i.e. a 14-line poem that's not a sonnet. But today there are so many ways of making sonnets, it's hard to draw the distinction, particularly when a final couplet is part of the (bref double) form.

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  12. I like the tone of your tree, much like a wise grandfather who looks back on what his grandchildren have done with a hint of pride in his words.

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  13. love the silent watcher in the poem comforting and sheltering...

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  14. RNW, I was that boy. I reached for the tip-top. I was bolder then. Now height is NOT an ally. I blame Hitchcock! But, beautifully "penned" I related to this greatly.

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  15. I love this, especially the closing couplet. Wonderful, Rosemary!

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  16. All boys (and girls) should try to fly - maybe not literally but in their hearts and minds..beautifully captured..and i am glad people watch those branches

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  17. I love this bref double form..Going to give it a shot. Enjoyed this poem.

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  18. wonderful remembrance-it is a pity that many children are deprived of the pleasure of 'tree company'- touching line and thought in 'keeping secrets'

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