Every summer in our
Back-yard oasis
In good ol'
New Mexico,
Our two-story-tall
Cottonwood tree
Would let down
Piles of snow.
The green capsules
Would peel back
In quarters
As the silky cotton
Inside grew,
And the wind would weave
Through the leaves
Coating the oasis
Like dew.
(Although in the later years
It was more like a blizzard!)
Without the cotton
The case would dry
And the wind would blow it down, too
And mybrotherandI
Would run outside
And
Crunch, Crunch
As we went down the
Little path, under the
Not-so-little tree.
Crunch, crunch
As we stomped around,
It under our shoed feet.
You see,
mybrotherpreferredsandals
And I preferred none
As I thought it
A crime to cover my
dirtybarecallused feet,
Except maybe in flip-flops
When we went out-of-home,
But only if my nails were
polished pink!
Oh, they were glorious days!
Author notes
The Cottonwood is no longer there
Because our neighbors had a pool
And my father feared
Did not appreciate
Our snowy summers!
Now in it's place is a sickly little runt-of-a-tree.
The Cottonwood lives on, though,
As every once-in-awhile a small little bush-looking thing
Will pop up in our yard
Or our neighbors
Or even at the park across the street
Despite my father's best attempts
To kill the roots of the tree.
And last year
A little, tiny branch
Popped out of the stump
And produced a single, green leaf.
Did you know in Albuquerque it is illegal to plant a female cottonwood tree, just because some people have allergies to it? So because of a few people's allergies, it is now a crime to have a big, beautiful, female cottonwood tree. Such a shame.
We kept the stump to make into a bird bath, because we love the tree so.
Unfortunately it may not feel the same, as every tree my father has planted since we killed (or tried to kill) The Cottonwood has been sickly and slow-growing.
_______________
This whole poem could use some work, so if you have any corrections or suggestions, please do let me know!
This poem sort of reminds me of a cross of the style of Jeff Moss and e.e. cummings, only not near as amazing of course =)
Comments
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"Weekend Hug"
Wow what a wonderful memory you have shared cottonwood tree's are so beautiful it is a shame that female trees no longer can be planted where you live. Beautiful imagery and emotion throughout. I would not change a thing it came from the heart and too me that is what the best poetry is all about.
I hope you are having a wonderful weekend I am sending a hug from me to you. Thanks for sharing, hugs Theresa
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