Hi there! Please enjoy today’s poem, inspired by some tree climbing I did today, and lots that I have also done in the past – I really do love it! I highly advise reading books whilst up in a tree, it’s very relaxing as well as getting you out of the house into the sunshine. The leaves provide great shade so you don’t get that paper glare.
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1.
Take off your shoes;
your feet will grip the bark,
will feel the bark beneath your soles;
connect your feet to the tree and try
to understand its branches.
2.
Trust your feet;
without trust there is fear,
with fear there is hesitation,
and hesitation will make you wobble, and fall.
If you connect to the tree with your feet
you will not be afraid.
3.
Do not think that climbing trees
is for children; this is a gross
misunderstanding on the part
of all adults. Climbing trees is for everyone.
4.
Height is fun, but do not underestimate
your distance from the trunk;
going outwards can be just as fun
as going upwards.
5.
Do not put weight
on any branch that is
thinner than your arm.
6.
Take a book; sit in your tree
and get to know her, lie
along a branch with your back to the trunk
and read. Stare up at the golden light
between the leaves and find
familiarity.
7.
Do not feel ashamed
if you talk to your tree.
8.
Understand that your tree is alive;
Anyone who carves their name
or initials into a tree, must seek
immediate apology, and beware.
Their tree may betray them for this crime.
9.
You may eat in your tree, but
I advise against eating fruit
in the tree it came from.
10.
Climb often, and don’t forget
your tree. She will not forget you.
With this poem, I had the idea of writing about climbing trees, but didn’t really know what to do with that. I had the idea of a set of instructions from somewhere, and felt like that would be a good idea – it would allow a more comedic tone to the poem. It also allowed me to consider what I felt was important about climbing trees that I wanted people to know, and to consider each of my instructions in isolation.
With this poem, I felt like rhyme would detract from the structure, and I din’t feel it necessary to include a strong rhythm. If I were to improve this poem in the future, I would concentrate on the overall mood of the poem more, and make sure that each stanza conveyed the right feeling, as some feel a little incongruous at the moment.
If you have any comments or feedback, please let me know down below!
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