goodbye little Friend
That mean old March wind gusted fiercely the other night and uprooted a sweet little tree that blossomed beautifully in our neighborhood every Spring. With its roots broken and exposed, it didn’t have a chance of recovery, but in one l
ast burst of energy it gave the neighborhood one last gift of delicate, fragrant blossoms. So sad to see it end this way after all of Larry’s tender loving care and hard work to help it grow straight and beautiful. I didn’t think Susan would mind if I clipped a couple of the small twigs to brighten up a corner of my living room. I love trees and I am often reminded of the poem I memorized in my first year of High School. I’ve written about this poem before but feel it’s a fitting eulogy to this faithful little friend on our block.
Trees … by Joyce Kilmer
I think that I shall never see, a poem as lovely as a tree.
A tree whose hungry mouth is pressed against the earth’s sweet flowing breast.
A tree that looks at God all day, and lifts her leafy arms to pray.
A tree that may in Summer wear a next of robins in her hair;
Upon whose bosom snow has lain, who intimately lives with rain.
Poems are made by fools like me, but only God can make a tree.
How sad! I love cherry blossoms. That reminds me that I want to plant one of those trees in my yard.
Do you still have my little (was little when we planted it when I was a kid….probably not now) cherry tree in your yard? It seems like you lost it a long time ago, but I don’t remember for sure.
Trees have always been one of my favorite ‘wonders’ of our H.F. creations. No two are just alike – just as no two people are just alike. Trees seem to have personalities – some are majestic, some are disfigured by winds or storms or blight – and yet they go on and make the world a better place – just like some folks who are majestic and some who have disfigurments, but still go on and make the world a better place for all the rest of us. Ahh yes – trees are a
wonderful creation! Pretty blossoms….enjoy!
Sadly your little cherry tree (the first time I mispelled it cheery … which is appropriate isn’t it? is no longer with us either. We had to take that one out because the two big trees were stealing its shade and water and it was slowly dying. I think the ants might have gotten to it the last year we had it too. Sad.
My dad had a gorgeous yard before he became ill in 2008. My sister and I did our best to help him with the yard last year, but this winter we had such cold temperatures that he lost lots of his plants. He had huge hibiscus, schefflera and pencil cactus, and they are gone. So sad.
Your dad’s yard sounds like my grandparent’s yards. They were covered with beautiful plants and flowers and manicured so well. Unfortunately, I didn’t inherit that gene lhat loves yard work and neither did my husband. We love pretty yards but we are putting in desert landscaping since our yard suffers neglect when we take off in the motor home.
I once lived in a rented townhouse and in that Virginia yard was a crooked willow.
I loved that tree. My dog adored the tree and always slept at the base.
When it came time to move from that location, my mother dropped by for a visit, cut a small twig (and I mean a twig!) from the tree and took it home.
A year later she presented me with a potted crooked willow – from that same tree! She’d “just popped it into a glass of water until it grew itself some roots, and then stuck it in some dirt.”
The one in her Maryland yard is now over 30ft tall. She calls it her “Taz” tree after my dog (who has passed on over the years).
The one in my sister-in-law’s yard in Texas is about 20 ft.
The one in my (former) yard is now under my ex-husband’s care in Maryland.
I will be moving again in 3 months to Tennessee and I am hoping another will be planted in that yard.
Trees… are amazing.