as the days grow short, evenings cool she braces herself against the wind, the inevitable season of letting go gone are hot summer endless days the reaper raises his sickle, a harvest to collect, alms to the piper she still remembers spring’s greening wasn’t it only yesterday leaf buds swelled from her winter bones, air earthy, damp, fragrant with dew sun slowing its course through the sky… it was yesterday, she remembers it well the hours, the days, the decades slipping through her fingers like sugar, bittersweet letting go the fruit of all her labor like seasons past, seasons yet to come the hearth grows warm, embers glowing her limbs rest heavy with sleep, drifting into this final season of life, too short in retrospect
~kat much love, peace, and glimmers to you…Autumn is in the wings. ✨🌿💚🌿✨
when you wake up in a cloud, a pea-soupy shroud, thinking out loud… it’s easy to dismiss the day, bury your head, grab more sleep but the clock ticks away, there are bills to pay, promises to keep
~kat
Sometimes a glimmer can be bittersweet. Today I mourn the removal of the ash tree that first greeted us when we moved to the mountains nearly 5 years ago. It was clear she was on her last legs. Each spring her blooms and leaf sprouts became less and less. This year it was time for her to move on. But not before leaving me with a heart shaped burrow into her trunk. I have no idea how the layers of bark wore away so perfectly. Whether it was a creative insect or a bird that burrowed this simple message. But I like to think she knew how much I loved her… of course I told her so. (Don’t you talk to your trees? If not, you should…and give them a hug if you’re so inclined.)
A nice man and his son happened by looking for work. He’s a tree trimmer by trade and offered his services for a number of trees on our property. He was hungry, he said, and needed the work. He pleaded in broken English (obviously not his native language). After quoting us a very fair price, we hired this man and his son to help us put my heart tree to rest. They worked meticulously, moved the timber to the edge of the woods and cleaned up the debris. We parted ways with a promise to hire him in the future to trim other trees in need of TLC.
The side yard where the tree once stood looks barren now. Ironic how the removal of a barren tree can make an area look more barren. I plan to plant a few trees in its stead. A magnolia, dogwood, or maybe a weeping cherry tree. Ash trees do not do well in this area.
The crows are most upset by her removal. She was their favorite perch. We had many conversations, me on my back porch and them, high above surveying their peanut station, letting me know when it was running low. They gave me quite a talking to yesterday evening from the nearby hickory trees. I hope they forgive me.
Things change…life goes on and the timber of this great old tree will return to the earth becoming shelter for small critters, and food for fungus, lichen, moss and insects. Even in death we, like this old tree have the potential to leave glimmers behind.
Much love, peace , and bittersweet glimmers to you!
~kat ✨✨✨💚💚💚✨✨✨
The ash tree over the years above and 2025 below
Sijo
A sijo is a traditional Korean poetic form, characterized by its three-line structure. Each line typically contains 14-16 syllables, resulting in a total of 44-46 syllables for the entire poem. The first line is introduces a theme or situation, the second line develops it, and the third line introduces a twist or unexpected turn, providing the poem’s conclusion.
i can almost see the neighbors now their white-washed porch and blue metal roof, the brown-white marbled coats of their horses grazing along the perimeter, just beyond the thinning tree barrier between us trees still green with life, slowly fading, tip tops aglow in shades of amber and rust empty nests teetering like bristly blobs in the wind, nestled in nooks high above the bustle below at long last, autumn has settled in for a spell season of bonfires, apple cider, pumpkin spice, sweaters season of letting go, of gleaning what we’ve sown and offering what’s left back to the earth and sky I can see the neighbors now as the air grows chill as winter looms close and days grow dark as the veil grows thinner…thinner still it’s comforting you know, to remember that I am not…that we are never truly alone i see you…i see you
take care, what you wish for little tree; don’t rush to blush amidst midsummer’s balmy haze, for summer comes but once a season; take your cue from elder trees, their lavish manes of sparkling emerald, chartreuse and sage, wisdom comes from weathering life’s cycles, grace and age, and autumn, with her cool dawn snap will be here soon enough you’ll see; so entertain the breeze and dance, while dusk holds back the shade of night, your dreams will keep, they’re never late, but lie in wait until the time is right…oh little tree stay green, let your sprouting limbs grow strong stretch your roots into the loam that holds the memories of home in just a blink your innocence will be laid bare, as winter’s snow becomes your hair, the night will wrap you tight and long and you will wonder where time’s gone, and think about the summers passed, while drifting off to sleep
i see you
if
only
they could see
you were much more
but they just saw a tree
not your vibrant, dynamic core
your roots winding deep beneath the earth’s floor
branches that stretched to the clouds, wild bursting bud tips
how you dance with the wind when tempests roar
shelter, haven, legend of yore
chopped down so callously
to build a door
but I see
you ev’ry
bit
~kat
For Tanka Tuesday’s Ekphrastic Prompt Challenge - The Diatelle - PHEW! Took me a bit of time to make it work. Fantastic form!!!
The Diatelle is a fun, syllable counting form like the etheree with a twist. The syllable structure of the diatelle is as follows: 1/2/3/4/6/8/10/12/10/8/6/4/3/2/1, but unlike an etheree, has a set rhyme pattern of abbcbccaccbcbba.
So it is easier for you to find all the parts/chapters of my ongoing fiction series, I created a new page that lists all the links. You can check it out HERE!
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