Deciduous Days

The wind beneath the ash
My growth among city streets
One ash leaf, no, two
Fallen in relief.

Look for the olives, lilacs,
Shadow on the mountain –
That dog, happy –
I knew they were good
Because the dog was always happy –
--small measure.

The world tree,
which grows through all the worlds,
appears to different cultures as different species of tree.
For example, the Norse had
the myth of Iggdrasil,
which was an ash tree.

We pick the fruit
On faded days
Becoming shadows ourselves.

Here's a drawing of Iggdrasil.

Pete, nature is often rejuvenating in its effect on the human spirit as noted by many 19th century writers; Thoreau, and Wordsworth come to mind. Thinking about trees, which are the most obvious symbols of nature, leads us all to think also about our place on this planet and in the universe. I like the poem, Pete, nicely done.


Les

Thank you, Les, for providing some background for the poem. It is, for me, symbolic of how transitory, fleeting, our lives are, like the leaves falling from the trees in autumn...where I come from, in New England.

Peter

It is, for me, symbolic of how transitory, fleeting, our lives are, like the leaves falling from the trees...

So true.

Les