Sunday, April 8, 2012

Under the Trees


Under the Trees
I spent my birthday under the trees, where I am always most at home.
  These poems came floating over my thoughts. 
I’ll share them with you in the hopes you too can live out a few wild stanzas under the unresting castles, under the trees.  


A Dream of Trees 
by Mary Oliver
There is a thing in me that dreamed of trees, 
A quiet house, some green and modest acres
A little way from every troubling town, 
A little way from factories, schools, laments.
I would have time, I thought, and time to spare, 
With only streams and birds for company.
To build out of my life a few wild stanzas.
And then it came to me, that so was death, 
A little way away from everywhere.
There is a thing in me that still dreams of trees,
But let it go.  Homesick for moderation, 
Half the world’s artists shrink or fall away.  
If any find solution, let him tell it.
Meanwhile I bend my heart toward lamentation
Where, as the times implore our true involvement, 
The blades of every crisis point the way.
I would it were not so, but so it is.
Who ever made music of a mild day?

The Trees
by Philip Larkin

The trees are coming into leaf
Like something almost being said;
The recent buds relax and spread,
Their greenness is a kind of grief.

Is it that they are born again
And we grow old?  No they die too,
Their yearly trick of looking new
Is written down in rings of grain.

Yet still the unresting castles thresh
In fullgrown thickness every May.
Last year is dead, they seem to say,
Begin afresh, afresh, afresh. 


The Sound of the Trees
by Robert Frost

I wonder about the trees.
Why do we wish to bear
Forever the noise of these
So close to our dwelling place?
We suffer them by the day
Till we lose all measure of pace,
And fixity in our joys, 
And acquire a listening air.
They are that that talks of going
But never gets away;
And that talks no less for knowing, 
As it grows wiser and older, 
That now it means to stay.
My feet tug at the floor
And my head sways to my shoulder
Sometimes when I watch the trees sway, 
From the window or the door.
I shall set forth for somewhere, 
I shall make the reckless choice
Some day when they are in voice
And tossing so as to scare
The white clouds over them on.
I shall have less to say, 
But I shall be gone.

20 comments:

  1. Happy Birthday Pamela! Sounds like you had a wonderful day. Beautiful poems.

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  2. Hello Pamela

    Happy birthday! your pictures are lovely and thank you for sharing all the beautiful poems.

    Hope you will have a great week.

    Best
    Tracy :)

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  3. I love trees, and I love poems about them. There really is nothing as lovely, is there?

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  4. Firstly Pamela, Happy Birthday!! I missed this special occasion if your in my travels. As for the trees, I have a secret passion. .. I know these poems well. I buy paintings, drawnings.. anuything of trees...but special trees, my kind of trees.. Long story, but, I created a painting years ago , entitled 'The Sound of Trees' in winter..Robert Frost was my inspiration. It is still sitting in a box from our last move with all my paintings. One day.. I hope you had a fabulous day Pamela....
    Best wishes from sunny Hoi An. :)
    Jeanne xxx

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  5. Happy Birthday Lady. Thank you for sharing the poems and beautiful images.

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  6. Hello Pamela and a very Happy Birthday.
    I loved these poems an in particular Robert Frost's, I was transported to the forest and could even feel the gentle breeze and hear the creeking of the branches. Magical! Thank you
    Helenxx

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  7. A Very Happy Birthday, Pamela! Love the Robert Frost poetry of course....I am a tree hugger...

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  8. Wonderful poems. Hope you had an equally wonderful day .

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  9. I am just catching your birthday by the skin of my teeth since you are a day behind us.
    I do hope you are having a Happy, Happy Birthday among all that delicious greenery. I hope Edward is leading you on all the greenest paths 'neath the whispering spring trees and you end the day with bubbles on ice.

    I wish you nothing but joy in this new year of your life.

    Birthday hugs . . . Arija

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  10. I'm back, just in time to send some little Birthday wishes though a wee bit late. Hope your day was beautiful Pamela, here's to many more special birthdays to come.

    Love the tree poems as I'm such a tree lover too. Coming home to find all the green surrounding the house was a lovely feeling after nothing but blue ocean and palm trees! The deep green of the grass which, thankfully, two kind neighbors mowed before we arrived, made the garden a true picture to behold as we stepped out of the taxi.

    Happy day, happy Spring.
    Mary X

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  11. Some of my favourite poems here Pamela - particularly the Larkin.

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  12. I found your blog by chance and when I looked at your first photo I stopped immediately. It reminded me so much of the acreage behind the Veterinarian Hospital in Sandy Sprngs, Georgia. I was there, last Tuesday, walking under the trees, after leaving my little Korat cat Mitsou. I love trees too and will stop driving to take pictures of them. But your picture makes me sad because my little Mitsou did not make it. Happy belated birthday.

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  13. That last photo could be my river it is very similar!
    Loved the Mary Oliver:

    There is a thing in me that dreamed of trees,
    A quiet house, some green and modest acres
    A little way from every troubling town,
    A little way from factories, schools, laments.
    I would have time, I thought, and time to spare,
    With only streams and birds for company.
    To build out of my life a few wild stanzas.

    She speaks for me.
    Thank you.

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  14. Beautiful....and the perfect place to be..Happy Day dear Pamela..I wish you many trees...:)

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  15. There is just something about them, isn't there?

    Happy Birthday.

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  16. A belated Happy Birthday wish from a fellow Aries...pioneers and independent from an early age, right!? I love your choice of trees poems and the peek into one of your spots..

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  17. I love trees, your photos and poems are wonderful.

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  18. Just discovered you via Nita's (Mod Vintage Life). I've obviously been missing out. I love your photos...love poetry and Robert Frost of course!
    Love the gardening painting/post above as well!
    I'm adding you to my sidebar so I can keep up.

    Nancy

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  19. Just discovered you via Nita's (Mod Vintage Life). I've obviously been missing out. I love your photos...love poetry and Robert Frost of course!
    Love the gardening painting/post above as well!
    I'm adding you to my sidebar so I can keep up.

    Nancy

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I love to read your comments! Each and every one! Though I'm always reading your comments, I may not respond in the comment section. If you want to write me directly, you may do so at pamela@pamelaterry.net. Thank you for reading!