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Poetry is just the evidence of life. If your life is burning well, poetry is just the ash. Leonard Cohen

Monday, January 3, 2011

The Tree

We left the tree up too long
Reluctant to box up the ornaments
Wind the strings of lights
Declare the holiday over
And settle into the sameness
Of gray January days
But the water in the base
Became murky and sticky
Evaporated
And when we finally took down the tinsel                         
The branches were brittle
And the tree
Was dry and dead.

submitted for Thursday Poets Rally Week 36 


Thanks, Jingle, for all the awards!


                                                                           






                                                                                           
                                                                                                        

24 comments:

Jingle said...

sorry that the tree is dead in the end,
vivid capture of tree...

Thanks for the support.
Happy Rally...
:)

Julie Jordan Scott said...

This same thing happened to my sad tree. I've yet to sweep up the needles it left behind.

Love the story along with your words! Grateful to have found you today!

My Week 36 poem may be found here.

Maggie said...

LOL. The sucky part of the holidays.

Anonymous said...

Flecks of bark, needles and sap. Sounds like a new breakfast cereal. We should switch our traditions and have Christmas Bunnies and Easter trees.

The Reason You Come said...

It is hard to accept that the holiday is over, and it's back to business as usual. But hey, it's 2011, and a new year's always something to look forward to, eh?

JamieDedes said...

... and so it goes. Nice poem though on which to end the season. Captures the bit of let down well.

Happy Rally days and best wishes for 2011.

Anonymous said...

We still haven't taken our tree down yet! We hate to box up the holidays! My sister and I share a room, and there, it is perpetually Christmas!
I'm sure everyone can relate to this poem! I loved it!
~~Aynsley

Anonymous said...

Nice post-holiday shit. :-)

Dave from the "male" room said...

Very true and very sad and very vivid imagery. I liked this very much - a difficult time of the year after the holiday season without much to look forward to for quite some time.

Anonymous said...

a touching poem...the fate of the tree is very sad. Thank you for sharing.

Anonymous said...

Yes, the sad part of the holidays ending. Like you said, the tree is dead!!!!

Travel with Chamz Chamen said...

Trees are like any other living thing. They do perish.

PonyGirl said...

well another year over! time to take down the tree and start a fresh! lovely poem! thanx for the comment on my poem!

Anonymous said...

is the tree dead...or the holiday in itself is dead?

kinda makes me wonder...anyway, good job here; for the almost sketchy view of your xmas.

-kyogakura

Dishilicious said...

creating room for another beautiful tree :)

Anonymous said...

love how you capture that moment! mines here- http://fiveloaf.wordpress.com/2010/02/14/hunger/

Anonymous said...

there is a lot more to the words than what meet the eye :)

Lolamouse said...

@ladynimue: I love a good metaphor! ;)

Brian Miller said...

things we let linger and not take responsibility for do just that at times...nice...

Linda Bob Grifins Korbetis Hall said...

you did so well on everything,
Thanks for taking the awards.
enjoy a lovely day.

Anonymous said...

Word.
irenethebean.wordpress.com

Anonymous said...

Neglegance can ruin beauty & taking things for granted too.

Well put :)

mine

http://hindawy.wordpress.com/2010/12/24/home-is-not-here/

Anonymous said...

I so felt this exact same way this year. I took Christmas down willingly but it made me sad. Don't know what the next christmas has in store for me. Thanks for the read, felt like you were reading my mind.

lizziviggi said...

I loved this one-- it is so much the way I feel, reluctant to let the holidays go with nothing to look forward to but spring. You chose the perfect words-- I could feel the dry, brittle needles and see the murky water.