Monday, April 26, 2010

my mother's willow


the willow
on a rainy day
through my mother's
kitchen window



it is a willow when summer is over,
a willow by the river
from which no leaf has fallen nor
bitten by the sun
turned orange or crimson.
the leaves cling and grow paler,
swing and grow paler
over the swirling waters of the river
as if loath to let go,
they are so cool, so drunk with
the swirl of the wind and of the river--
oblivious to winter,
the last to let go and fall
into the water and on the ground.


20 comments:

Elisabeth said...

It looks to me like a mess of ragged hair, this clustering of leafless branches, your mother's willow, by the river. Thanks, steven.

steven said...

hi elisabeth - the images were taken through rainy windows and i was struck by the ragged hair similarity also. i can only begin to imagine this tree's root system. have a lovely day. steven

Pauline said...

"so drunk with the swirl of the wind and of the river"

a beautiful line - as a child I crawled beneath a large willow and hid in her hair, hidden from eyes but able to see out. It was magical.

Barry said...

Our next door neighbour had a willow in his backyard for many years. They are beautiful tress to look at, but make for a lot of work in the yard.

Nice for us, we got the beauty of the tree and none of the work.

steven said...

pauline - it's gorgeous writing isn't it!! i would love to know about people's memories of hiding inside trees and bushes. playing in the woods. it's among the richest of our memories isn't it! steven

steven said...

ha barry that made me laugh!! i guess they must drop a lot of leafy, twiggy stuff! steven

ellen abbott said...

We don't really have weeping willows here but we do have a lot of black willows. they are tall and gangly but hold the banks of the bayous and rivers.

Tess Kincaid said...

You know I adored this willowy post. x

Reya Mellicker said...

That poem is amazing. So powerful. Wow.

And the image - like a matrix into which you could pour a million different stories, colors and ideas.

You're so cool, Steven. Thank you for being.

The Weaver of Grass said...

What a beautiful poem Steven - yes, it is true that willows really hang on to their leaves and that they merely turn a paler yellow. It is a common tree here too.

Golden West said...

What a wonderful kitchen window view - every kitchen needs one!

Linda Sue said...

Willows are such wild things- I love them- They can be very helpful also, I am sure we could not have toasted marshmallows over an open fire with out them , or made quick fishing poles, or baskets, or whips...They are only messy if they live on golf courses, which they do not...I love everything about them, even their curley leaves as they pile up on the neighbors lawn...not on ours where it lives- just like the cats that poo elsewhere. Our kitty was named Willow, too.Pussy Willow.
Nice shots from a rainy window of a magnificent wild thing.

Friko said...

willows are among my most loved trees. At the moment here in the UK they are turning golden and their long tresses blow in the gentle spring breezes like a mermaid's hair floating in the ocean current.

steven said...

friko ours are a lot back of that state but they are mvoing along. most of the trees have buds or small leaves. the birds are busy. the dandelions are golden! steven

steven said...

hey ellen - yep usually willows are sitting on a pile of water somewhere. this one has found an underground stream leading to the lake. smart! steven

steven said...

oh willow of course you did!!! steven

steven said...

hey weaver i 'm glad to see you here and especially glad that you enjoyed the post and poem. have a lovely evening in the dale. steven

steven said...

golden west i've never had a home with a beautiful view from the kitchen and you know what - that's what's missing from my life - steven

steven said...

linda sue ilove the wild tangly parts of nature - the scruffy curling in on itself undergrowth and the trees that don't grow in perfect symmetry. i like things and people and places to be what they are. steven

steven said...

reya - thankyou. it's good to be. steven