Sawdust clogs hollow heart cut open dead and gone
Taken in prime standing tall seventy feet above me
Now a home for black ants crawling deep dark tunnels
Bones still hard roots still deep in leaf mulch and dark earth
*
Green ivy climbing up creeping tall over bark
Annual rings encompassed soon cocooned forgotten
Rain and cold sun and heat reduce bones to tree dust
Food eaten nourishing blanketing sapling roots
*
We all rise tall trees strong flourishing in our prime
Soon cut down left for ants now cocooned forgotten
Photo: Dwight L. Roth
Today at d’Verse Bjorn asked us to write an anapestic tetrameter which is a poetic meter that has four anapestic metrical feet per line. Each foot has two unstressed syllables followed by a stressed syllable. This new for me so I am not sure if I got it right or not, but I gave it a try.
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Roth Poetry 
There’s beauty in the decaying stump as well as the seventy foot tree. As you have illustrated with your words.
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Thank you so much for you kind comment! Yes, I wholeheartedly agree!
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That is the eventual cycle of life for all living things, we do not escape it. Well written Dwight.
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Thank you Rob! The cycle does continue!
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I do hate to think I will be left for ants, cocooned forgotten, but I guess that is reality for this body. Thank God my soul shall rise! Nice poem Dwight.
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Thank you Mary! It is not the most pleasant thought, though probably more realistic than we would like. Yes, hope rises eternal.
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Wonderful work, Dwight, with both content and structure. 😀
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Thank you Michele, I had not idea what I was doing. I simply tried to follow the pattern given. I really appreciate your kind affirmation!
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You would never be able to appreciate the rings till the tree was cut down, Dwight! Lovely poem! ❤ I am not feeling too kindly toward ants today. We are fighting an epic battle with fire ants since our landscaping project disturbed their nests, which can be as much as 2 1/2 feet underground. I think we will have to resort to baits! All the best, Dwight! ❤
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You are right The rings are counted in the after life. sort of like a memorial service for the tree! :>) Ants are a real pain when they cross paths with us. The little bitty ones bite me and leave pocks like chicken pocks on my skin. They last for months.
Hope you can get rid of yours. Thank you so much for sharing!
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Sorry to know the ant bites are so severe and long-lasting for you, Dwight! Is there some effective treatment for ant bites?
If your ants are fire ants, they reportedly are attracted to grease, not sugar. Robert has ordered some fairly safe poison to mix with fat to bait them. I will let you know if we find something that works. Also, we are open to suggestions. 🙂
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they ususally come from the tiny black ants that are found in my yard and all around. I don’t get bites too often. When I am barefoot and walking carelessly is when it happens.
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Once nourished, now nourishing, there’s a time for everything under the sun. Beautifully voiced, Dwight, metrically and symbolically.
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Thank you Dora! I guess that is how life works. Nourished and then being nourished over and over again. A Great thought! Thank you.
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beautiful poem and metaphor Dwight. We all just keep taking on different forms! 💖
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Thank you. I liked Dora’s comment of being being nourished and then nourished and then being nourished again and again!
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Yes, that is a great comment Dwight!!! 💖
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I have never heard of an anapestic tetrameter — I am impressed! Of course, not as impressed as I am with your poetry. It “nourishes” me!
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Thank you Miriam. You are too kind! I never heard of it either. I just tried to follow the steps they gave and this is what I came up with! :>)
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This is one of the most serious of the evening’s offerings and you have given me pause (not paws) for thought Dwight, well done!
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:>) Thank you Ingrid. I am really glad it connected with you. It was an interesting challenge! We must make the most of the time we have.
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I think that the anapestic tetrameter form allowed the poem to work impactfully on the reader in a way that free verse wouldn’t. (I’m not articulating this very well. I hope you know what I mean!)
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It is much like haiku or tanka, in that it forces you to concentrate on syllables and word selection that free verse doesn’t. It is more concentrated and reading it is like riding a horse. ta ta dum ta ta dum ta ta dum!
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Your comment about reading anapestic tetrameter being like riding a horse reminds me of one of my college lit professors referring to Wordsworth’s “The Idiot Boy” being written in a dogtrot rhythm.
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How interesting! :>)
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That particular prof could be a bit irreverent at times. 🙂
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:>) that does seem to be the case.
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It’s sad when a tree is cut, but that’s the cycle of life. A very thoughtful poem, Dwight.
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Thank you Merril! It is sad to see one so large cut down!
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It is!
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My heart sinks when a tree is cut down especially if done just out of selfishness or convenience, but your poem reminds me of the cycle that continues.
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Yes, I agree! Thank you for your comment Mish.
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I think I remember you talking about the power company cutting down healthy trees. Is this one of those fallen beauties? Very good description of bones turning to dust.
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No this is one we saw at the lake house a couple of weeks ago. They had it cut down because it was right against the back deck and they were afraid it would come down on the house in a storm.
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loved the way you wrapped those words around life…. acknowledging the beginning and the end somewhere in the middle…. reverent bow as i pass…
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Thank you so much! It was a fun challenge!
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That’s so beautifully expressed
.keep writing ❤
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Thank you very much! I am glad you enjoyed it!
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Felling trees hurts me to the core … however, I understand the “why” … we had seven pines removed from the huge yard running the length of eleven town homes. Fortunately we have twice that many left, tall Ponderosa that reach to the sky. You rose the the challenge beautifully.
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Thank you Helen! Sometimes there are good reasons to remove trees! Saved you a lot of future damage I am sure. Thanks you for your kind words.
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This tugged at my heartstrings. I can’t bear to see a tree cut down!
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Especially a big tall beautiful one!
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It’s sad when trees die or are cut down…but even in those events the tree is still of use and of help to nature and to human beings. Trees are amazing and wonderful! In all the seasons of time, and the seasons of their life cycle, they are beautiful to me! 🙂
A powerful poem, Dwight! Your word-pics are vivid and evoked emotion. It got me a bit teary-eyed.
(((HUGS))) 🙂
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Thank you Carolyn. I am glad it connected with you. Yes, trees are wonderful in any form!
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Story of our lives, and it’s OK too. 🙂
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yes… simple reality!
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Good job with the anapestic tetrameter, {{{Dwight}}} – challenging indeed. You’re a brave soul! ❤
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Sometimes they work out better than others. This one came together for me better than usual. I am not a fan of form poetry! But it does force one to pick their words more carefully.
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Yes, it does… and you did! ❤
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Good work. A true poet’s poem!
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Thank you very much!
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Love how you tackled the anapest with such a somber topic… it worked well I think, and as a metaphor it’s great. It is sad when trees has to be taken down, but sometimes you have to, to make place for other growing things.
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Thank you Bjorn. I appreciate your comment. It is a reality of life it seems… and the cycle of life goes on!
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So beautiful how you mixed nature and feelings together ❤
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Thank you so much!
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Such an awesome imagery🙂
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thanks!
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Don’t know about theater, but I appreciate the words
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