Winter Tree

[Il Penseroso]

Empty of all noise
a tree stands nakedly
aware, becoming dead.
Blackbirds are cradled
in the bent lines lifted
outward from the past,
icons of former budding.
Each entwined in
brooding, voiceless,
elements of
a final thought.

[TheFifthElement]

Lovely poem Il Penseroso, short, but very rich and deep.

[PrinceMyshkin]

Empty of all noise
a tree stands nakedly
aware, becoming dead.
Blackbirds are cradled
in the bent lines lifted
outward from the past,
icons of former budding.
Each entwined in
brooding, voiceless,
elements of
a final thought.

Wonderful how much you evoke in such a short space, the restraint itself becomes part of what is said, or cannot or need not be said. Lovely!

[firefangled]

Excellent tree, IP. Sometimes bare silence speaks volumes,

[Pendragon]

Reminds me of the trees in the graveyard every fall. Full of blackbirds until you would think them leaves...

[amanda_isabel]

it''s a lot for so little. i liked it :)

[Il Penseroso]

thanks fifth, Prince, firefangled, Pen, and amanda

your comments are much appreciated. I've been in a slump lately, so this is sadly the longest poem I've written in quite some time (stuck mostly to haiku). it felt good though.

it actually should probably be called November tree, since the image I was working with was from that time. on my university campus blackbirds proliferate in sky and these big trees by the parking lot, eerily still when pirched or circling like ravenous bats.

[TheFifthElement]

eerily still when pirched or circling like ravenous bats.

**Wow**

[PrinceMyshkin]

thanks fifth, Prince, firefangled, Pen, and amanda

your comments are much appreciated. I've been in a slump lately, so this is sadly the longest poem I've written in quite some time (stuck mostly to haiku). it felt good though.

it actually should probably be called November tree, since the image I was working with was from that time. on my university campus blackbirds proliferate in sky and these big trees by the parking lot, eerily still when pirched or circling like ravenous bats.

Hopefully, there is some way to think of these slumps, other than as the abandonment of inspiration. Something new may be gestating, some new direction... Sometimes one writes, and sometimes one listens.

[ampoule]

Mention blackbirds and trees and I'm there, hanging on the words and thoughts of this nice poem.

[Riesa]

to look at skeleton trees
With black birds in them.


oddly, they must have migrated to Texas, as the streets, the wires, the world is full of them. strange to experience.


Blackbirds are cradled
in the bent lines lifted
outward from the past,
icons of former budding


a sketching of silence in unbearable winter.

I'm so glad to see you post, IP.

[jon1jt]

Empty of all noise
a tree stands nakedly
aware, becoming dead.
Blackbirds are cradled
in the bent lines lifted
outward from the past,
icons of former budding.
Each entwined in
brooding, voiceless,
elements of
a final thought.

Hello IL, glad to see you posting over on this side of the fence.

My initial reaction was that it spoke in your haiku "voice," and what I mean is that it's dense, you're packing a ****load of imagery into a limited space, and with that there's a slight swelling at the seams. I felt the same reading a couple of your earlier poems. You're the most vividly descriptive poet if I've ever encountered one, and while it's the case that this poem here is kicking *** all over the place, I think you got the palette to paint rainbows around the planets and kick the moon clear out of orbit, and only you know what you'd put in its place. ;)

Beautiful work, captain. :thumbs_up

[amanda_isabel]

thanks fifth, Prince, firefangled, Pen, and amanda

your comments are much appreciated. I've been in a slump lately, so this is sadly the longest poem I've written in quite some time (stuck mostly to haiku). it felt good though.

it actually should probably be called November tree, since the image I was working with was from that time. on my university campus blackbirds proliferate in sky and these big trees by the parking lot, eerily still when pirched or circling like ravenous bats.

glad you're out of the slump and back on your feet again. the last poem i posted was a poem i'd written on my way out of the slump too. i mean, i've made myself write and keep it going but i wind up with non-satisfactory stuff, so the one i last posted was the first in some time too. :)

[Il Penseroso]

Prince,
I agree. I think it's important not to concentrate too much on forcing poetry to come, but rather to let your guard down, feel and listen intensely, and let your mind come to terms with matters on its own. thanks for the thoughts.

ampoule,
glad you like it, thanks for reading.

Riesa,
very glad to see you back and posting too. this poem probably wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you and your Wright reference. :)

jon,
thank you for the fabulously generous reply. i think, though, when writing poetry, I will be happy with descriptions just to match that compliment in grandeur. the inspiration is very much appreciated.

amanda,
I've got a few false starts from recent times, but mostly I've tried, unsuccessfully, to develop some poems I've written awhile back. This was nice just to get away from other poems I've written and work from something new. thanks for reading it.