SEEKING SPRING
I am the tree-in-winter man
bough bent with wintry woes
seeking spring.
Inside, below the gnarled and ravelled rind,
inscribed by glacial ink in cruel seasons,
exigencies and crises lie curled
concentrically in seized circles
from heartwood to the bark.
Inside, again, sap congealed and gelid
trapped static in harsh-hardened tracheids,
sits still pooled and sorrow chilled
in serried cellular ranks
from yesterday’s roots to tomorrow’s twig.
Yes, I am the tree-in-winter man
waiting for spring’s demulcent peach-pink
breath to melt and liquefy
from frigid core to icebound bole
and tempt the sap to surge and rise.
And then these soft green buds
I harboured in the long dark days
will plump and swell;
and blossoms white as snow
will ecstatically burst the knotted bark
to be strewn and scattered on the ground
finding spring.
A contest entry
- imagery & metaphor by Tangled Angle.
300 points, ended May 24, 2008, 7 entries
Bronze trophy winner
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest
Comments
1 - 5 of 5
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Just brilliantly done. And actually very erotic in a quietly solomn way.
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Hi tree-in-winter man
How did I manage to miss this? Well, I have been away for a while from AP with a few mountains that needed climbing. I choose 'exigencies and crises lie curled'. Guess that's my mood though and I should choose 'soft green buds'! Very good Mike x Chilli
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Love the metaphor in this as well as imagery.
A fresh piece bursting just like spring buds of new growth.
Becky
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I didn't like the repetition of inside, tree-in--winter man, and then spring.
other than that, loved it.
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I like this poem very much. I identify strongly with the images and the lyrical rhythm of the words. My favourite line is /and tempt the sap to surge and rise/.
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