Ancient and Alive

[Tinker]

Ancient and Alive

Trees old enough
to remember
hearing the footsteps of God
rise into clouds
collecting rain
to quench their thirst.

Massive branches hang down
and out with tips up,
like an eagle stretching
to snatch the wind.

The sun filters through
mute-green needles
stitching lacy patterns on the forest floor.

Blood brown trunks, nourished
by the bones
of the Pomo people
carry the scars of epochs
as they tower above the shaded ferns.
while roots spread deep and broad
anchored to the damp earth.

At the foot of a giant
a broken twig lies in the scent
of mud, musk and decay,
a reminder of my mortality.
Here in the mist from the near-by Pacific
nature's cathedral is my sanctuary.
                         ---Judi Van Gorder

[Benjamin]

What a humbling perspective, to stand in the presence of these giant living things. I recall as a boy how sad I felt at a picture I saw in a book. An arch had been cut through one of their trunks to allow horse drawn carts (presumably lumber-men's) to pass through. Your closing stanza is excellent. Geoff

[dr_con]

Tinker- Impressive! Yes exactly how it is and the word choice is superb! At the moment my favorite piece of yours! I just love this!

 

Many Thanks!

 

DC&J

[tonyv]

A perfect study, Tinker. You paint the picture and then add depth. The forest is large, and I am there, too, a twig, in that "scent of mud, musk and decay." Awesome subject and composition!

 

Tony

[Frank E Gibbard]

This really gets into, permeates its subject matter, you planted a poetic seed here, a pleasure to plumb ancient stratas of meaning in this stylish work Tink. Beautiful, stunning stuff.

[Tinker]

Hi Goeff, DC, Tony and Frank, Thank you for the encouraging words. This is a poem I have had around a long time and it keeps evolving as I do. My best friend from the 3rd grade came to visit last weekend from So CA. and was astonished that there was a redwood grove outside of her bedroom window and she couldn't believe the silence.

 

~~Tink

[Rea]

Redwood Grove

Trees old enough

to remember hearing

the footsteps of God rise

into clouds that collect the rain

to quench their thirst.

Their massive branches hang

down and out with tips up

like an eagle stretching to snatch the wind.

The sun filters through mute-green needles

stitching lacy patterns on the forest floor.

Blood brown trunks, nourished

by the bones

of the Pomo people

carry the scars of epochs

as they tower above the shaded ferns.

Roots spread deep and broad

anchored to the damp earth.

 

I am a twig

lying in the scent

of mud, musk and decay,

reminders of my mortality.

In the mist from the near-by Pacific

nature's cathedral

is my sanctuary.

----------- ---Judi Van Gorder

 

 

Hello Tinker

That's beautiful to read, fresh and unique phrases, I love the lines, "the footsteps of God rise, into clouds that collect the rain, to quench their thirst". Super!

The last stanza's, enchanting.

Best wishes

Rea

[Aleksandra]

Tink, the opening of the poem is perfect, and I loved it. Very, very inspiring.

 

Aleksandra

[Tinker]

Hi Rhea and Aleks, Thank you so much for reading and for your kind words. It is easy to find beauty in this place that I have blessed to call home. I am glad you liked my attempt to describe it.

 

~~Tink

[abstrect-christ]

Everything's been said, nicely done. :)

[Tinker]

Tom Farley produced a nature video on a winter walk into a redwood grove in the Sequoia National Park. He asked my permission and edited my poem to fit his video. My poem describes the redwoods on the Pacific north coast. We rarely have snow here and the Pomo Indians mostly lived in the north and probably never travelled south to where the Sequoia's National Park is. But otherwise the poem fits, some call the Redwoods Sequoias and visa versa. I think there is some difference but they are very similar, I am sure in the same family. If you want to see these beautiful trees here is the link to the video. Farley recites the poem near the end of the 4 minute video. I don't know how he found the poem but he found me on Facebook and asked permission to use it.

 

 

~~Tink

[Larsen M. Callirhoe]

I made a response to this last night. I love the poem. so surreal for me,. i couldn't get the video to0 work. i will have a lookse and see if it works now.

[David W. Parsley]

Hi Tink, congratulations on the publication of your words in such a Beautiful Place - 185 hits already when I visited. The opening lines are particularly nice, suiting the videologue well.

 

- Dave

[fdelano]

Hello Tinker. I have been up close to these images of mine that go back more than fifty years. I hope that slight amount of time has not changed the majesty. I even (stupidly) drove through the truck of one on the still-living wonders. My family of four could not hold hands around its bole. Thanks for the memories and the message. I like that the ancient bones nourished the roots--what a unique way to illustrate the antiquity of these splendid columns holding up the heavens. Thank your for the gift.

fdh