Down By The Elderberry Trees
I sit by the elderberry trees in the field at the back of our house.
From my window this morning I watched them wave to me.
Now in mid-autumn the cherry-coloured berries are sought by the birds,as they turn black red with the change of season.
It won’t be long before the crisp cold of winter frames us with frost.
Spring bulbs buried low in readiness of life to come.I sit here wrapped up in my coat, scarf and boots,pen and paper at the ready.
Dry leaves swirl above the soil,rustling change coming from the valley,branches creak against hill tops turned cold grey,a beauty that is lost to words.For how can one capture,the change of season,the turning over of life,the crazy ever changing, ever steadfast wonder.
Down here by the elderberries,I am hidden from the house, I can be alone,
with just the taste and breath of earth and trees,a wondrous continuance of all things.
I look down at my pen and paper,as light moves within the leaves that barely hang on,
writing in a place I have never written before,and I wonder why.
This was lovely! I wanted to be down under the elderberries with you!
ReplyDeleteLoved these lines:
a beauty that is lost to words.
a wondrous continuance of all things.
Considering such, you've done a great job of articulating the experience.
Kat
Thanks Kat. It was a good prompt. We should probably all make a point of writing somewhere new at least once a month!
ReplyDeleteAs a poem, I thought it was very accomplished. Particularly liked the frost framing us line. Sadly for me, elderberries hold a fearful dread. Not only did our ma make us go out and pick them but we had to separate berry from stalk afterwards, even those tiny 5mm long stalks. Nightmare on Elderberry Street...
ReplyDeletebeautiful, some really lovely moments in this
ReplyDeletehow can one capture,
the change of season,
the turning over of life,
the crazy ever changing,
- especially stand out for me
Thanks Peter and Niamh. Sorry those elderberries are a nightmare for you Peter, but no doubt your Ma put them to great use and they had a positive effect on your health if not your memory!
ReplyDeleteI really liked this - it reminded me of something Joan would write - it had that same sort of lightness and ease.
ReplyDeleteMaybe she's having an influence, she's certainly in my head a lot these days.
ReplyDeleteWhy? Because you captured a lovely poem that's why! Ilikes it!Beautifully descriptive.
ReplyDeleteThanks Totalfeckineejit, I think my why was more why I had not written there before? But on reflection I should have clarified that point more. Thanks again.
ReplyDeleteThat does it, I'm moving into your house. It's so lovely, inside and out :)
ReplyDeleteYou are very welcome. But you have to bring your own food. The ejit that usually does the shopping is on strike as she trying to write a novel, TRYING being the operative word here!!!
ReplyDeleteWell, she's doing better than this blogger!
ReplyDelete