The effects of ash Dieback, West Kent. Photo: John Miller.
The effects of ash Dieback, West Kent. Photo: John Miller.
the ash-crown wind-swung
& giddy in its height
& while summer green makes summer shade, the leaves prepare for autumn
& an orange striped wing lies still on the ash mound
*
branches play against the sky freeing the wind
& my iris tightens its gaze
& will you be here tomorrow, I think
& the leaves answer: whispering, nodding, quivering – they giggle
*
It stands there – it walked into my space
& I stare up its sinewy slenderness into restlessness
& minds dance, tracing the sky
& leaves take on the shades of cloud
*
rough rivulets of bark show where the weather goes in green
& we stand as four drawing full breath in your shadow
& the birds sing then stop, sing then stop
& I see the small movement of nature
This collaborative poem was the result of a one hour ecopoetry workshop, led by Chris Poundwhite. As a group of four we completed a number of writing exercises intended to help us engage with a particular ash tree in a direct and sensory way. At the end of the workshop, we had ten minutes to work on this poem of four sections.