Tinker Posted April 22, 2011 Share Posted April 22, 2011 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 Quote ~~ © ~~ Poems by Judi Van Gorder ~~ For permission to use this work you can write to Tinker1111@icloud.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benjamin Posted April 22, 2011 Share Posted April 22, 2011 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 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dr_con Posted April 22, 2011 Share Posted April 22, 2011 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 Quote thegateless.org Come on over and check out my poetry substack y'all;-) Or if your bored, head to the Zazzle store: https://www.zazzle.com/store/gateless. If you buy anything I lose a bet, so consider that before you violate the digital rules. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyv Posted April 24, 2011 Share Posted April 24, 2011 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 Quote Here is a link to an index of my works on this site: tonyv's Member Archive topic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank E Gibbard Posted April 24, 2011 Share Posted April 24, 2011 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tinker Posted April 25, 2011 Author Share Posted April 25, 2011 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 Quote ~~ © ~~ Poems by Judi Van Gorder ~~ For permission to use this work you can write to Tinker1111@icloud.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rea Posted April 30, 2011 Share Posted April 30, 2011 Redwood GroveTrees 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 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aleksandra Posted May 13, 2011 Share Posted May 13, 2011 Tink, the opening of the poem is perfect, and I loved it. Very, very inspiring. Aleksandra Quote The poet is a liar who always speaks the truth - Jean Cocteau History of Macedonia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tinker Posted May 15, 2011 Author Share Posted May 15, 2011 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 Quote ~~ © ~~ Poems by Judi Van Gorder ~~ For permission to use this work you can write to Tinker1111@icloud.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abstrect-christ Posted May 16, 2011 Share Posted May 16, 2011 Everything's been said, nicely done. :) Quote Pinhead "Unbearable, isn't it? The suffering of strangers, the agony of friends. There is a secret song at the center of the world, Joey, and its sound is like razors through flesh." Joey "I don't believe you." Pinhead "Oh come, you can hear its faint echo right now. I'm here to turn up the volume. To press the stinking face of humanity into the dark blood of its own secret heart." "There's a starving beast inside my chestplaying with me until he's boredThen, slowly burying his tusks in my fleshcrawling his way out he rips open old woundsWhen I reach for the knife placed on the bedside tableits blade reflects my determined faceto plant it in my chestand carve a hole so deep it snaps my veinsHollow me out, I want to feel empty"-- "Being Able To Feel Nothing" by Oathbreakerhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBPy3xNwwL8 "Sky turns to a deeper grey the sun fades by the moon hell's come from the distant hills tortures dreams of the doomed and they pray, yet they prey and they pray, still they prey"-- "Still They Prey" by Coughhttps://soundcloud.com/relapserecords/sets/cough-still-they-pray Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tinker Posted December 9, 2011 Author Share Posted December 9, 2011 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 Quote ~~ © ~~ Poems by Judi Van Gorder ~~ For permission to use this work you can write to Tinker1111@icloud.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larsen M. Callirhoe Posted December 10, 2011 Share Posted December 10, 2011 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. Quote Larsen M. Callirhoe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David W. Parsley Posted December 11, 2011 Share Posted December 11, 2011 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 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fdelano Posted December 11, 2011 Share Posted December 11, 2011 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 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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