Thursday, December 26, 2013

The Silence of Sycamores in Winter





You can almost hear the absence of sound...



it speaks of winter sleep,


and waiting;



the in-drawn breath of precious life force



 the close-held silence



 of nothing wasted.







The Sycamore
~ Wendell Berry

In the place that is my own place, whose earth
I am shaped in and must bear, there is an old tree growing,
a great sycamore that is a wondrous healer of itself.
Fences have been tied to it, nails driven into it,
hacks and whittles cut in it, the lightning has burned it.
There is no year it has flourished in
that has not harmed it. There is a hollow in it
that is its death, though its living brims whitely
at the lip of the darkness and flows outward.
Over all its scars has come the seamless white
of the bark. It bears the gnarls of its history
healed over. It has risen to a strange perfection
in the warp and bending of its long growth.
It has gathered all accidents into its purpose.
It has become the intention and radiance of its dark fate.
It is a fact, sublime, mystical and unassailable.
In all the country there is no other like it.
I recognize in it a principle, an indwelling
the same as itself, and greater, that I would be ruled by.
I see that it stands in its place and feeds upon it,
and is fed upon, and is native, and maker.







I hope you all had a blessed and joyful holiday, my dear friends, wherever you are.



18 comments:

  1. Good morning Shar. Beautiful photos, and the Wendell Berry poem is a beauty too.
    Wishing you a happy year!
    -sus

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    1. Sus, I'm so glad you like the photos. Wendell Berry's poetry matches them well, i think, since he's also from Kentucky!

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  2. thank you for sharing the stark white beauty of your north country in winter

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    1. Mo, you might be surprised to learn that Kentucky in actually considered to be in the south, in term of the U.S.! I'm glad you enjoyed the photos.

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  3. The writing combined with the photos creates a many layered beauty ... thank you and many blessings to you for this end and beginning of the new year.

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  4. la poésie n'est pas compréhensible pour moi... mais les branches, blanches sont magnifiques!
    bonnes fêtes!

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    1. a picture really is worth 1000 words, to my way of thinking, so don't worry- the message comes through the images. Happy new year, Elfi!

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  5. What a gorgeous post. Thanks for taking us on a walk through the woods and across the fields near you. I love the dry stillness you have caught. Happy new year.

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    1. Thanks, Annie! Now I'm wondering if you have sycamores in Britain. Have a happy and healthy new year!

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  6. On Christmas Day, a neighbor's puppy actually brought a sycamore leaf from a nearby tree
    and placed it at my feet. Best gift I received this year.

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    1. What a thoughtful puppy- sounds like you had a nice holiday, Ken. Thanks for stopping by!

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  7. You can almost hear the absence of sound... Now that sounds idyllic. All the best for 2014 Sharmon.

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    1. It does sound idyllic- especially to a middle school teacher! Wishing you a happy new year, too, Robyn.

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  8. Exquisite Sharmon! Wishing you a very happy New Year:-)

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    1. And the same to you, dear Laura; I hope you have a truly exceptional new year!

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  9. I WOULD SAY , YOUR ART IS : THE PERFECTION . x

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