Thursday, November 30, 2006

Solitude Late at Night in the Woods

The body is like a November birch facing the full moon
And reaching into the cold heavens.
In these trees there is no ambition, no sodden body, no leaves,
Nothing but bare trunks climbing like cold fire!

My last walk in the trees has come. At dawn
I must return to the trapped fields,
To the obedient earth.
The trees shall be reaching all the winter.

It is a joy to walk in the bare woods.
The moonlight is not broken by the heavy leaves.
The leaves are down, and touching the soaked earth,
Giving off the odors that partridges love.
- Robert Bly

8 Comments:

Blogger Lynne at Hasty Brook said...

"Nothing but bare trunks climbing like cold fire!"

I really like that line. I've always loved the look of bare trees on winter evenings, black against the color-washed sky.

10:10 PM  
Blogger Julie said...

Beautiful verse. I love your picture--those curling white edges on the leaves.

11:26 PM  
Blogger Kay Cooke said...

What a treat to return to this! Thank you endment - again.

12:47 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Beautiful poem and photo.

2:41 AM  
Blogger Rowan said...

I love this poem, where do you find all these lines of poetry, do you have a huge collection of poetry books? I don't know Robert Bly either, is he American? The world seems to be full of poets I don't know but like when I come across their work. Like lynne I find the silhouette of bare trees against a winter evening sky a beautiful sight.

3:54 AM  
Blogger Endment said...

lynne
The stark contrasts of the dark trunks against a tinted sky is one of the reasons to stand in awe of nature.

star
thanks - those edges are the things that enticed me to take the photo

chiefbiscuit
welcome back - I celebrate your return from your writing marathon :)

fran aka redondowriter
thanks for your encouragement fran

rowan
a friend sent me this poem - I didn't check things out carefully and your question had me surfing the internet - Robert Bly is a living American poet
I do have a small collection of poetry books and access to a good collection at our library - I have been putting together a small book of the poems I especially enjoy

I am always searching for a new poem to cherish.

11:18 AM  
Blogger Tongue in Cheek Antiques said...

your images soar! They show us your amazing spirit!

4:42 PM  
Blogger Mary said...

*bare trunks climbing like cold fire*. That will stay with me.

And your photograph is beautiful.

6:36 AM  

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