what is your wish?
this morning as we walked
i saw a tree that bid to me.
i balked
not any more i told her
not with these old bones
and not-so-limber limbs
of mine
if you will come she said
caress my branches
smell my fractured leaves
you will be young again
begin
to taste your life anew
to run and jump and fly
with careless ease
if so you please
what is the cost I asked
were i to rise
into your textured world
(it tempted me)
you’ll flee
the confines of your age
you will begin once more
your journey on this earth
new birth
and lose all i have learned
the ones i’ve come to love
the memories
and yes
the pains and losses too
that nurture growth
i’d loath
to go through that again
forward, i walked in calm
i would not lose
the truths
i’ve gleaned along the path
of life
in spite of strife
Photo: Wikipedia Commons–Labeled for non-commercial reuse
Today at dVerse Poetics, Mish invites us to indulge in wishes. My response is a bit oblique. I have wishes, true, and they are precious. But so is aging, and that is where my muse wandered. I tucked in a bit of scattered rhyme, still enjoying the latitude that Walt’s prompt from last Thursday offered. No pattern. Just whatever happened. Oh, by the way, I grew up climbing trees.
Victoria C. Slotto, Author 
I wish for love and freedom.
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Yes, we are a tapestry of all the patchwork pieces of our lives. It would be a sorrow to lose them, even the bad and testing times.
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Having a conversation with a tree! I love it! Nature has so much to say and most of us don’t stop to listen.
I was never coordinated to climb a tree and have it turn out well for either the tree or me. But I love to touch trees. They vibrate, you know! Each tree feels different and has a unique story to tell. The ones touching or near power lines are tense and anxious. The ones surrounded by other trees are happiest. Those big old trees standing alone in fields? Some are lonely and grateful for the company. Others seem wise and content to just be. You’d be amazed…
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The way you structured this poem was really interesting with forward motion from verse to verse. Wonderful! And wise, too.
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Ah, wishes are seductive and one should be careful what to wish for. Lovely piece here. 🙂
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Very thoughtful and beautiful as always.
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In A dArkest
night of void..
one lEarns
the gift of knowledge..
the gift of those who love one long..
the gift of loving those the
same.. and the
gift of loss
oF all
of that..
IS A gift
to treasure
A greatest
wish.. to feel and
sense the gift of liFe..
all pales as nothing..
all lives as something..
Humans are blessed beyond wishes..
Humans live.. Humans live.. and can treaSure
a gift
of Life…
as long as
thaT gift IS A FeeLinG
SenSinG liFe iSREAL noW..:)
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Thank you, Victoria, this is a beautiful piece! It holds many truths itself, especially in the last lines!
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Beautiful wisdom
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Gorgeous poem, Victoria .
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PS: I keep meaning to say — every time I open your blog, I so admire the beautiful flower at the top. It never fails to make me smile. Thank you!
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Ah….at what price will a wish come true? The eternal question. And yes, I do so agree. I can’t imagine going backwards and growing up all over again. I’d be fearful I’d lose just one moment of the past which would then have a ripple effect and change who I am and where I am today. There is a lot to be said for contentment or for working on wishes going forward rather than going backwards!
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stellar end where wisdom flows…
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I knew from your poem you grew up climbing trees…before reading your comment. I could feel the longing, but also the wisdom in knowing the journey is most important…and “walking in the calm”. This was just wonderful, Victoria…the imagery, the personification of the tree, the dialogue and the insightful message.
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I was doing cartwheels with my daughters the other night, and I learned the hard way that I’m probably too old for that. 🙂 My shoulder was crying for a few days after.
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“if you will come she said
caress my branches
smell my fractured leaves
you will be young again”
I love that!
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That would be quite a dilemma, but I think I’d choose the same.
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This is so beautiful ❤️
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I love this scattered rhyme, Victoria. And the meandering feel of this. And OH, that cost of climbing trees now that we’re older. 😉
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Oh this is absolutely gorgeous writing, Victoria ❤ I love the juxtaposition of the two voices here in this poem. Especially “if you will come she said caress my branches, smell my fractured leaves you will be young again, begin.” It feels almost like dancing with words ❤
Lots of love,
Sanaa
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I do like the dialogue, the tree almost becoming a temptress, the one diverting from your paths, each stage of life has it’s own wishes, and maybe it’s about talking to trees… *smiles*
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I agree with Glenn although I am a tree climber from way back. Southern trees must be different from western trees. My trees simply welcome me and allow me to rest and to occassionally play my violin. Life has been hard for me these past couple of months and promise to get worse. I’d almost be tempted to climb your tree. Almost.
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Like a biblical story or Zen parable or something by Aesop, this is lovely & intriguing. For like Faustus, one can be, will be tempted ad infinitum; so kudos to you for finding the wisdom not to be seduced.
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