Trees or Teddy Bears?
I have nine teddy bears
(not counting the very tiny ones).
I would happily sit them in windows
to delight young children going by,
being taken on almost-solitary walks
by a loving parent or grandparent
in this time of widespread isolation.
But (a) my windows are far back
from the street, (b) I live in
a cul-de-sac at the top of a hill –
no-one walks up here anyway,
except those of us who already live
in this quiet, childless space where
we seldom even see our neighbours.
And (c) the one big window at the front,
which could be visible from the street
if I sat my largest bear on the sill,
is covered by the thick branches
of my high, wide frangipani. Let any
passers-by be nourished by that tree!
Written for April 2020 Day 2: Tree Mythology at 'imaginary garden with real toads', from an archived prompt. I realise belatedly we were not only supposed to write about a tree, but specifically a myth about a tree. So this doesn't really answer the prompt, sorry. But it's where my Muse led me today, when I thought about trees.
I do love a frangipani in full bloom!
ReplyDeleteTrees and bears go together well, Rosemary, after all, bears live in forests! I always enjoy anecdotal and autobiographical poems. But why haven’t you counted the tiny bears? I was going to put my five bears in a window at the front of the house, but I haven’t seen any children at all in our village, which is also a ‘quiet, childless space where we seldom even see our neighbours’. I wish we could grow frangipani trees here as I love the scent - I have frangipani joss sticks, which I love to burn.
ReplyDeleteI wanted to give a sense of my excess of bears – nine, and then even more, letting the reader imagine how many. On the other hand, in a way they don't count: they are VERY tiny, far too small to even cuddle – and what is the point of a bear you can't cuddle?
Deletethis is a "new age" myth in its own way and right - for surely, it chronicles the story of the times, these weird, absurd and very demanding times .... and it's about trees, so that's all that matters -
ReplyDeleteand is there not comfort to be had in something so enduring? trees and teddy bears - yes, definitely offer so much invaluable wisdom - in their own ways ....
I like your poem very much Rosemary - and may you continue to enjoy your tree for many years to come.
What a glorious frangipani tree! 💝🌳 I remember having one such outside my school when I was little. We would collect its flowers and pretend to be royalty!
ReplyDelete