on a lonely road
stands a lonely tree
all gnarly and dead
it lived its life
by the side of the road
only to die
alone in the sun
there it stood
as a monument to death
wondering if ever a
tear had been shed
by anyone passing by
someone that would remember
how it cooled them
from the sun in the sky
but no
the old
did not care
and the young
with no life in their souls
chose to shame the old tree
with dirty old shoes
that clung to its branches
leaving their stench
to hang in the air
leaving the gnarly old tree
in utter dispair
Poor old tree! I love the title and the loneliness of the poem.
ReplyDeletethanks Heidi...I see it as a symbol of the fast pace of today's world
DeleteHa good one, in the city they hang them from power lines, can't people just dispose their stinky shoes properly?
ReplyDeletei feel for the tree...relegated to hang shoes from...it has a rather lonely existence...i would imagine someone passed by and felt for the tree...
ReplyDeleteThis is so sad, I imagine some people are made to feel this way too. I did as a child. I love trees just being near nature is so tremendously therapeutic.
ReplyDeleteIt's amazing the things people do to amuse themselves.
ReplyDeleteStormcat had a good idea for the prompt explained in the comments you are most welcome to add another submission if you want to have a go at it.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the view that the hanging of shoes is kind of discussing. But there is another viewpoint: Most trees die and simply disappear as so much rot. This tree was, however, missed enough to grab the attention of the shoe throwers. It's speculation but perhaps the first were boys who had climbed it many times in their favorite shoes and rather than discard them in the trash left those shoes to die with tree as a tribute to the memory of that connection. Those that followed became a serendipitous reflection of that tribute. You never know. . .
ReplyDeleteit's interesting how each of us view different objects with a different mind or eye. I understand what you are saying and that could possibly be true.
DeleteI saw it as a symbol of a changing world that I grew up in. The old are considered unworthy of contributing anymore, so cast your stench upon them and laugh as they wither and die.
I meant disgusting not discussing. Sorry.
ReplyDeleteIsn't it a wonder how the natural draws us to it? We are always seeking symbols of ourselves. I enjoyed the reading.
ReplyDeleteI love this wonderful Earth and have a love affair with trees - the beauty of which always fills me with awe.
ReplyDeleteSo the death of a tree causes me sadness and the knowledge that most of us don't appreciate the NEED of this Earth for their lush green foliage makes me even sadder...
Anna :o]