in summer sings its canopy
and shadows me with verdant leaves
where underneath I can forget
this charcoal winter filigree
of sooty fingers reaching up
to cut apart this leaded sky
its naked limbs in randomness
of balanced graphic symmetry
we wait together for the light
that will return for oak and man
Oak tree in my garden
Today at dVerse poetics I host the pub and we write about trees. Please come and join us with your poem about trees.
—
January 17, 2014
Björn Rudbergs writings 
Lovely poem Bjorn about the starkness of the trees in your part of the world now. Ours are a little different right now.
I hope they have their canopies intact.. at least there’s shadow underneath then,
Trees are beautiful every season, but I am waiting for the light to return to green nature and refresh ‘man’ as well. How even more beautiful that oK must be when it is green.
I marvel at the pattern of the bare branches in winter… But most of all the lightgreen of early spring…
a few more months time its back for real….charcoal is a great word pairing with the season….even the trees are waiting…to come back to life…
I think it’s in late April here… hmmm long time.
Even though winter as such has not appeared yet, it certainly does not feel like spring either here and the trees are still charcoal and barren. Instead I also feel like I am waiting for “the light / that will return for oak and man”.
Snow and winter came last week… much better to have a white duvet…
Beautiful poem AND pic, Bjorn!!
Thank you.. it’s a blessing to have a big oak right outside…
waiting together for the light….i like…and the charcoal…trees in winter are best drawn with charcoal..it captures the roughness in an excellent way….and then …come spring..for me it’s watercolor..so full of life, energy and movement…smiles
I loved the imagery, particularly that of branches reaching up to cut the sky. And a splendid ending of a wait that will not go in vain.
I specially love the ending, we wait together for spring to come ~ I want to forget this charcoal winter filigree ~ Hey, we have the same tree in backyard, smiles ~
Bjorn, I liked the equation you set between man and the oak. >KB
the poem and the picture are excellent…
Lovely, how trees and man wait for the coming of spring. Trees, to me, are lessons in endurance.
Two part harmony here, between the singer and the oak. Winter’s hard on every one.
Harmoniously Stark, wintry and Lovely 🙂
A lovely poem, Bjorn, which accentuates what is my favourite part of trees, their skeletons. The fascination with bare trees makes even winter palatable!
Like our trees, waiting for their cloak of leaves and we wait for the return of shadows beneath their branches. Very nicely done.
i enjoy the union you rub together of man and tree waiting, and of course the shadowing being done, too– a black and white portrait until that hopeful last graph.
Let’s hope the tree is still alive in Spring and that some tree hater has not poisoned it.
Five outstanding couplets, brother, and kudos for undoing your belt & letting the words & stanzas run free; you seem to be becoming more comfortable in the Free Verse universe; I knew that you would understand & appreciate my title & reference to Yggdrasil.
a winning rhythm in this piece, Bjorn ~
I like this. It’s nice to think of the canopy trees make, and then how their bare limbs reach up in winter much like we humans do.
Lush words Björn – I do love trees.
Anna :o]
…so lovely—the melody you put to it & everything…. & i like what you write t’wards the end… what better feeling to read that part… i enjoyed it—both the writing & the topic today… thanks… smiles…
Excellent choice for d’verse as well as your description of winter tree!
Nice interplay of seasons as well – as you talk about the tree – very simple and different from what I have read from you so far, albeit enjoyable.
You may have outdone yourself IMO with your amazing words. Indeed a filigree cutting the sky into pieces. Beautiful rhythm as well.
Beautiful even though the darkness isn’t; I like the tree’s profile in the pale gray sky in the photo..
“of sooty fingers reaching up”…I love this line and the life that you give to the tree through your words.
Lovely…those branches are so much like a filigree of sooty fingers…so stark they become in winter. I love this.
I love “charcoal winter filigree”. It has a lovely feel to it.
of sooty fingers reaching up
to cut apart this leaded sky
Even though many have said it, I can’t help but appreciate the wonderful expression of ‘sooty fingers’. Nicely Bjorn!
Hank
Winter is indeed a wonderful season. Processing, and building up expectations, is nice. And now it gets lighter day by day!
Don’t you think winter skeletons are fine too?
I miss them when they put their clothes on in may.
Nice poem you wrote here
There is a starkness in them that I really enjoy..
Bjorn, just felt this poem from the roots up..I wait for spring in the
bareness of winter…
“its naked limbs in randomness
of balanced graphic symmetry”
great lines! The limbs do look naked in the starkness of winter. Thanks again for the wonderful prompt!
We’re all waiting for the light: people and trees~ love this union!
They do form a “charcoal winter filigree” and we are waiting, sadly not for the light, but for more arctic lead…wonderful poem, and a wonderful prompt. Thank you.
The symmetry of the poem contrasts with the randomness of the tree. Winter trees have a beauty all their own. You’ve captured it in photo and words.
of sooty fingers reaching up
to cut apart this leaded sky…
…like that image…thanks for the prompt.
Aside from the redwoods in my area there is an apple orchard out my window. I love the starkness, the shapes, the tangled limbs in the winter, every bit as beautiful as the blossoms and the fruit in spring and summer. Love your word choice and the rhyme – your graphic symmetry.
Very nice Bjorn…I love the idea of trees making canopies…living as far north as I do, that’s fairly rare
http://thepoet-tree-house.blogspot.ca/2014/01/when-trees-weep.html
Just like the trees here too. I must say, though, as much as I long for the green of spring, there’s a marvelous beauty in seeing a mist-enshrouded moon rising behind bare branches.
That Björn is a cracker! Verdant leaves, brilliant!
Sheer perfection, this poem. Each line is a wonder to me, but favorite is: this charcoal winter filigree, as it describes the appearance of things around here, especially lately during a two-week invasion of frosty fog that has nearly obliterated my view of the canopy at times…..except that “winter filigree” shows through.
totally liked the cycle… and sooty finger, of course
there is so much hope in this..
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