58 responses to “Old oak – for dVerse”

1. This is lovely, I like it very much… ‘gnarled old father’ is amazing! And, of course, purple frog-cups whispering spring, with that photo.. beautiful!

   • Our oak-tree is amazing. 😉

2. nice… love the battling squirrels… so much life going on in those old trees… i find oaks such majestic trees…

   • Some days the squirrels can be quite noise.. Running back and forth – and the master of the oak will be the king of squirrels.

3. I think an ancient oak ties us to the centuries

   • indeed it does.. it’s mind boggling to watch an oak, that was an acorn when Sweden fought wars in Europe. The oldest oak in Sweden is close to 1000 years old.

4. Great series, Björn! You are lucky to have an oak in your garden.
   I wonder how different you find writing micro poems from writing haiku.

   • I love the oak, It’s probably just slightly more than 100 years old, just gaining majesty…

     This form is based on a tan renga done twice. I have used the haiku-technique, of changing viewpoint in every stanza, much like how you compose a tanka.

5. I love how your last couplet shifted the focus to the squirrels

   • I wanted the focus to shift with each stanza.. much like the squirrels really do..

   • I suppose that each stanza does change perspective, but the first 3 do seem to be somewhat from the tree’s ‘perspective’. Lovely poem!

6. I enjoyed each stanza, Bjorn; but my favorite is the one many above have mentioned…the one with the battling squirrels. I can just picture the scene, with each one trying to gain control!

7. Love that third stanza, the oak-leaf carpet and the gnarled father.

8. I admire the tanka verses specially this part:
   under its lime-green canopy
   purple frog-cups whisper spring

   Cool to see your oak-leaf ~

9. ha. i love squirrels so i appreciate their inclusion…those purple cups are amazing….just think how much potential is in each acorn…

10. love the gnarled old father, he seems gentle though 🙂 like a dad or grandad letting the grandchildren clamber over him. I like the squirrel at the end, only one can rule this tree 🙂 very tender!

11. We have majestic Maples in our area; the Oaks are elsewhere; nice form & lovely poetic, brother. Glad you liked the mention of Old Tjikko in my poem; thought of you, of course.

12. oh, this made me smile and smile… i’ve never heard fritillaria called frog-cups before, but I love that. lovely!

13. You call it frog-cup.Fritillaria meleagris
    In Dutch it is known as the Lapwing flower
    and over here fritillary
    snake’s head
    guinea-hen flower
    chess flower. Lots of aliases.
    Do you have a saying in Swedish like this:
    When the Ash is out before the Oak
    we can expect a real soak
    When the Oak is out before the Ash
    we only get a little splash

    • I do not recognize that.. but Ash and oak are the trees we still see as the “finest” trees.. I looked for nice names that would work in poetry.. and I liked the frog-cups

14. Lovely work.

15. Good word-choice throughout Björn. Crystal clear description.

16. Hmmm i love how you create this world of nature ruled by trees and forest animals and such. I could just see it all!

17. I enjoy all the life going on in, under and around this tree. Wonderful portrait!

18. “gnarled old father”: Wonderful. I really liked it. 🙂

19. Great subject! Oaks are magnificent and such incredible sculpture–you captured them well–love the frog cup 🙂

20. This is lovely, Bjorn. You are a master at this form of poetry. And I learned a new name for one of my favourite flowers (frog cups), the snake’s head fritillary.

21. Love the metaphors you use on this poem.

    In all natures trees and flowers – mother soil herself shall always protect her fellow plants and all creatures of the earth. 🙂

22. Beautiful and heard warming piece, Bjorn, smiles.

23. Nice that you have an oak in your backyard. Must be nice to watch it welcome Spring.

24. Oh I really loved the last line…there can be only one! So kicked it right there. Smiling…just made me thing of a million epic movies with one line.

25. I love how you’ve painted a grand shelter to many a life-form and captured Nature in all her majesty within such a small space…love the poetic form as well….brilliant

26. really liked the visuals in this

27. squirrels can be mean! some excellent visuals in this pen, Bjorn ~

28. I love your interpretation of the oak. I believe they provide an ecosystem for hundreds of species within one tree. You make me want to write another tree poem straight away!

    Frog cup is a wonderfully appropriate name for a flower we call snakes head fritillary. I shall change its name forthwith!
    Love,
    ViV
    PS leaves is the plural of leaf. English is a treacherous language!

    • Thank you — and yes, the plural thank you for pointing it out

29. Lovely verse and a frog cup how beautiful and unusual.

30. Gorgeous – and I didn’t know that fritillaries are known as ‘frog cup’ in your part of the world 😉

31. that is a wonderful oak tree…….

32. A beautiful description,,,,,,would love to bask under its shade.

33. ….never heard of purple frog cups …how pretty they are ..for a minute I felt like I was in a fairy tale and the length of the poem is just right for the sweet poem

34. not an oak in sight here in the tropics but you bring back memories

35. The tree is so full of life …providing shelter to all ..a nice picture portrayed through words 🙂

36. Oak trees are amazing – so cool that you have one!

37. haha This was fun to read..purple frogs and battling squirrels quite the image.

38. I wouldn’t mind listening to blackbirds beneath the canopy among the purple frog-cups as squirrels fight in the branches above. definetly an easy piece to get lost in.

39. Even in countries like mine, where they don’t grow naturally and are seldom seen, the oak has become such an iconic tree, if only by reputation. I particularly love the line, “gnarled old father”.

40. Ooooohhhh… Beautiful! I had no idea those flowers were called frog-cups! And… En kort och kanske korkad fråga, men vad är de där två-radiga stanzorna för något? Haiku känner jag ju igen, men de där var något nytt! Underbar dikt! Som alltid!

    • En haiku kompletterad med två rader 7+7 blir en tanka, så detta är ett format som egentligen är två sammanhängande tanka, men jag har valt att skriva det som 4 stanza. Det roliga är att försöka växla synsätt på samma sätt som i en tanka.. Nästa projekt blir att skriva en choka… 🙂

      • Choka? Har precis ätit en stor chokladkaka så jag hoppas det är något i samma stil! 😉 Måste undersöka det där med tanka, haiku och hela den släkten lite mer, tror jag… 🙂

      • Om du vill lära dig mer, så finns det en daglig prompt som heter Carpe Diem http://chevrefeuillescarpediem.blogspot.com/

        Haiku, haibun, american sentences .. massor av kul…

      • Var precis inne där och tittade (han Gunn eller vad han heter tipsade och om det härom veckan)… Sitter och funtar på det där med tanka, får ta resten en annan dag… *ler* Tack!

      • Managua, vår vän i Finland menar du… 🙂

      • Managua? En skotte i Finland som heter Managua??? Världen är ur led! 😉 Jo, det var honom jag menade! *ler* Om jag postar något som jag tror är en tanka skulle du kunna ta en titt och bara säga om jag är på rätt väg? Vill ju inte vara besvärlig och krävande, liksom…

      • Kolla i arkiven på real toads också – där finns en bra beskrivning

      • Tackar!

41. Great imagery in this, Bjorn. I enjoy this piece. Well written.

42. Pingback: Old oak – for dVerse — Björn Rudbergs writings | Arrowhead Freelance and Publishing·

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