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Wish Tree for Washington, DC by Yoko Ono (2007)Live tree and mixed media, Hirshhorn Museum, Washington DC, USA |
Look into my eyes
to see the heart and sapwood
of my childhood, rings where pith
matured and fed me.
You inherit all of this.
Whisper wishes into my
leaf buds and blossoms;
lay your cheek against my bark.
I will teach you to
laugh and join nature’s gala.
When trees exist in
museums only, who will sing
with winds and dance with rain?
Where will we find cloud
steps rooted in good earth?
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Posted for Kerry's When I Write Tanka (Part 1) ~ Hisashi Nakamura at Imaginary Gardens with Real Toads and for Bjorn's Under the Canopy with dVerse Poetics.
you know i dont think i have ever seen the wish tree in DC...i need to look for that next time i am there...pretty cool on whispering to it on the off season...i hope we never have to face a world without trees...how terrible would that be....
ReplyDeleteMy VERY favorite of your poems EVER. I ADORE this poem!!!!!! And I love the photo of a tree full of wishes....in Tofino, one morning, I walked along a beach trail where some lovely being had hung fresh baked cookies, tied with ribbons to the overhead branches......OMG. It was magical. I feel the sadness in the questions in this poem......"who will sing with the winds and dance with rain?" Sigh. Heartbreaking to even have to ask such questions, isnt it?
ReplyDeleteOh, trees could never exist in museums only...as we would all die for lack of oxygen. We definitely need to appreciate the trees in our life more than we do. They can teach us so much of what we need to know.
ReplyDeleteI specially love the whispering into the trees & if all are gone, who will dance with the rain ~ Lovely personification of trees Susan ~
ReplyDeleteIf trees are in museums, I doubt any people will be left to see them. ~
ReplyDeleteIf the trees go...we follow suit...museums we will be of no use...nobody will be around to enjoy them!
ReplyDelete...couldn't imagine a world without a single tree around... i'd rather die & vanish with the greenery than live in a world where everything seem to be improvised... smiles...
ReplyDeleteA wish tree.. I like that.. but to me the thought of whisper it to the bark sounds even better.. remember I saw a wish tree in a park in Tokyo once.. to me lying on my back in a summer pine forest looking at the swaying canopies --- my wishes are fulfilled.
ReplyDeleteThis is quite fascinating, Susan. How respectful of the proprietors to insist the tree get its rest through winter. I like the way you set out your tanka - the step by step approach to finding inner peace.
ReplyDeletea wish tree...how cool...never heard about this and i even like the idea of whispering the wishes to the tree much more than writing them down and tying it to them...ha fun... i need a wish tree...smiles
ReplyDeleteA thought-provoking poem. I love wish trees; there are many in China but people are allowed to 'wish' on those trees all year long.
ReplyDeleteI loved the image of cloud steps rooted in earth. I too found the personification lovely, in your writing.
ReplyDelete-HA
Our planet would suffocate if we did not have trees. There seem to be so many threats to the natural world as we enjoy that it can soon be depressing to think about them.
ReplyDelete"when trees exist in museums only" Susan that just breaks my heart right there we are headed down such a path
ReplyDeletei have some whispery wishes i'd like to share with that tree.
ReplyDeletewhisper wishes...I think we've all told trees are wishes and dreams at one time or another. They are the keepers of secrets! Lovely poem.
ReplyDeleteGreat writing and I like the poster too. I shall be whispering to trees from now on.
ReplyDeleteLet us hope that trees will never exist in museums only. Love the interconnectedness of your tanka. And a wish tree! So cool! Thank you.
ReplyDeleteOh, I hope the day will never come when trees can only be found in museums....but they continue to pave paradise
ReplyDeletesure liked what you did with this... so different from the rest... good job
ReplyDeleteWhispering wishes, yes ... I will be traveling to DC in June, hoping to hang a wish on this tree! Lovely, Susan .. lovely.
ReplyDeleteLeaning to tree as teacher...sigh...such beauty.
ReplyDeleteFeeling sad there might be a time trees exist only in museums. Need to work to protect trees and all life forms
ReplyDelete