I think that I shall never see,
A poem as lovely as a tree.
As a child I remember liking this poem. Some wise teacher must have shared this poem with us. Over the years, I kept seeing this poem. I still like it.
In my last post I wrote about prowling round farm houses that were unlocked.
The last few days have been windy and I've watched the wind in the trees.
Well, we had more adventures. There wasn't a tree we didn't like to climb except for spruce trees. Where we were on the prairies and 20 ft tree was considered large and there were few of them.
In the odd place non native trees had been planted and they were large. They were poplars of some kind and they grew tall and spread out. These were our favorite trees to climb. It's a good thing they were some distance from home so we didn't climb them very often.
So this is where I'm going with this post. I have never forgotten the feeling of being up in these trees.
There needed to be a small breeze. The branches moved but the whole tree twisted slightly so there were two different movements at the same time. It was a pleasant and soothing sensation. We seemed to understand that since these were larger trees than we were used that there was some risk.
So for those who climbed trees when you were kids I hope you remember this pleasant ride in the tree.
I like that poem too, trees can be scary on a windy day.
ReplyDeleteTake care, enjoy your day!
I grew up on a property with an old apple orchard. We kids lived in those trees! And each one had a different 'feel', a different personality. Some loved, some avoided. Yes, I miss those days. Kris in Ohio
ReplyDeleteI am reminded of the expression, “You’re outta your tree.” You were happy in your tree.
ReplyDeleteThat's a sweet memory, Red! I was too chicken to try climbing high in trees.
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely memory. I never got up in a tree, but hadn't thought about the trunk twisting a little too. You should build yourself a tree house now! Linda in Kansas
ReplyDeleteAlthough I do like that opening line of the Joyce Kilmer poem, I am in full agreement with what it says. Give me time with a tree any day over a book of poems.
ReplyDeleteGood golly! If my mother had only known how high my friend and I climbed into the treetops, she would have chained me to the house! So high we held onto more than one branch to support us because one was too small. Swaying too and fro looking out on the countryside that only we could see. We were so far away from the house that had we fallen, we would have died before we hit the ground or before help would have found us once we landed. Must say, we were smart enough to never climb alone.
ReplyDeleteI love trees
ReplyDeleteI was never a tree climber but my daughter climbed way up in one of our giant cedar trees. Next to the trunk the limbs are like ladders.
ReplyDeleteWe were supposed to stay out of the trees cause we could fall and break something...according to our Mother:(
ReplyDeleteIt was always fun to climb trees.
ReplyDeleteWe had a pear tree behind our garage when I was a kid. I use to climb it a lot whenever I wanted a nice tasty pear. We also had chestnut trees on our street, it was fun picking them up when they fell off the tree or we knocked them down. :)
ReplyDeleteI remember climbing trees to reach conkers to knock them down. Now I have my mother's affliction of vertigo and wouldn't climb a stepping stool.
ReplyDeleteWe learned that poem in grade school and I can still recite it.
ReplyDeleteThere was a bush in our neighbourhood and all the kids climbed the trees. I remember sitting up in the tree in our backyard and just relaxing.
Red,
ReplyDeleteI think that I shall never see,
A poem as lovely as a tree.
And still your words climb back in time,
To limbs that swayed in childhood’s rhyme.
The prairie wind, both soft and free,
Would set the branches gently at sea.
A twisting dance, a quiet ride,
With earth below and sky beside.
And though the years have wandered far,
We still recall just where we are …
Up in the breeze, so wild, so free,
A child once more… inside a tree.
John 😊
Kay of Musings: Yes! Yes! My brother and I loved climbing our giant mango tree in Hawaii. My mother never knew. We’d climb out the window, onto the garage roof and then onto the branch and up the tree. If I saw my own kids doing that, I’d have a heart attack. The amazing thing is my brother and I never broke a bone back then. My son broke both arms on two separate occasions before he was even 7. 🙄
ReplyDeleteThat was without climbing a tree.
Dear Red I strongly share your love for trees
ReplyDeleteI too, like you can’t forget my childhood days when we entered the village and I felt like I was home 🥹 everything was so beautiful and relatable,
Trees were most exciting parts because it was adventure in my approach and I would do it often in the every single day.
Yes looking at trees waving by breeze and the soothing sound had healing affect on my mind always 🥹
It never left me nor it will ever because it’s something I feel belong to deeply!
Thanks for bringing this beautiful topic today ♥️🙏