Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Bough Dancer


IN THANKS FOR TREES
For apple, damson, pear, for apricot and cherry,
For holly and for elder, all trees that bear a berry,
For needles, cones and catkins that hang upon the twigs,
For dates and pomegranates, for persimmons and figs,
For cabinets and pews, for boxes, casks and caskets,
For matches and for hatches, for cane and wicker baskets,
For violins and cellos for basses and their bows,
For shaft of axe and hammer, for stale of rakes and hoes,
For coracles and gondolas, for schooners, sloops and sculls,
All rigging, all rudders, all keels and decks and hulls,
For magic wands and wizards’ staffs, for flying witches’ brooms,
And more prosaic brushes with which we sweep our rooms,
For all the many blessings they unknowingly supply,
(For cradles, beds and coffins in all of which we lie),
But mostly for their beauty of stature, shape and hue,
For trees of every quality our deepest thanks are due.
Oliver Leech
http://leopardpoetry.wordpress.com/2012/01/30/featured-poet-oliver-leech/



In the late 70's and early 80's, I used to do these treks in the Ventana wilderness area near Big Sur. We would often be heading out to do 5 - 10  days of solo time in the woods and we would choose new names to resonate to our sense of place.

Today my name is Bough Dancer..

What is yours?

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