Later, later found

But from the forest later…later springs
the spring anew; in it subtle song, a timid light
the soil is wild alive; when rain had ceased to fall,
and you’ve forgot to mourn, forgot and lost

your sorrows as the gloom in wood subsides
when from the bough that lost its twig
a blackbird sings, and buds are breaking, bursting
into leaves and bloom, bloom and sun, the sun you lost

is back, burning back behind your eye-lids, childhood
lost as shoeless wandering you can sense its joy
as it tickles back the roots you lost; gently gripping

into soil, in land, this land awoken, found at last;
while melodies of hazel-sprigs harmonizes
with memories, healed you wander in its scent.

Written for Laura who hosts at dVerse, where we can either write a poem in response to a poem of something lost, or find a poem inside. My choice was to write a response to:

Pablo Neruda “Lost in the forest”

“Lost in the forest, I broke off a dark twig
and lifted its whisper to my thirsty lips:
maybe it was the voice of the rain crying,
a cracked bell, or a torn heart.

Something from far off it seemed
deep and secret to me, hidden by the earth,
a shout muffled by huge autumns,
by the moist half-open darkness of the leaves.

Wakening from the dreaming forest there, the hazel-sprig
sang under my tongue, its drifting fragrance
climbed up through my conscious mind

as if suddenly the roots I had left behind
cried out to me, the land I had lost with my childhood—
and I stopped, wounded by the wandering scent.”

Reading this, I thought of exile and I admired how much he used the imagery of a forest in autumn, and how both childhood and land means you have been uprooted.

I cannot write as Pablo Neruda, but wanted to write a response on how you can find your new roots when spring is back.

October, 19, 2021

17 responses to “Later, later found”

Maaterful, to be honest. You certainly rose to the challenge, and it IS a daunting challenge.

Björn Rudberg (brudberg) October 20, 2021 at 20:27 · · Reply →

Read you poem on tumblr, but didn’t know how to comment.
This is what I wanted to say:
Love what you did here… your really shows one way away from being found, is to embrace to be lost.

I wish I had written this! It’s an excellent response to a lost Neruda
“childhood
lost as shoeless wandering you can sense its joy
as it tickles back the roots you lost;”

Bjorn, you are a pro at this form and you nailed the challenge. Oh, I wish Neruda could have seen this and been heartened. That last stanza, wow.

Laura already quoted the part that gripped me, lots of poetry in those few words my friend. Altogether beautiful.

You nailed it, bang on, brother. Your “found” poem is wonderful, and it uses the Neruda’s words and phrases expertly. I think your poem can stand alone, hardly shadowed by Neruda’s lament.

I love this evocation of spring, Bjorn – so visceral and so joyful. Every sense engaged. It tingles.

You offer hope to the wanderer.

Oh my gosh this is an amazing response! You knocked this one out of the park! ☺️👍

Nicely done Bjorn. You flipped the essence beautifully.

Beautiful✨❤❤

What a moving response – and the images you paint :
‘when from the bough that lost its twig
a blackbird sings,’. Quite wonderful.

Love the uncanny relevance of your poem to your picture attached. It goes down so well together.

Hank

What a beautiful response to Neruda’s poem.

Bjorn, So many moments of beauty: “from the bough that lost its twig/a blackbird sings,” “as shoeless wandering,” “melodies of hazel-sprigs” — These all evoke a rebirth and renewal that bring healing, palpable and whole as “bloom and sun.” Beautifully found and composed.
pax,
dora