Was once a time when we were young,
Our starts were quick, our limbs grew strong.
We hung together filled with glee,
Flexing bough with gust or breeze.
Sheltered safe from ocean’s roar,
We dwelt far from its shore.
And then one day out from the sky,
From whence it came the ocean’s cry.
The breeze grew gust and gust grew strong,
From gentle breeze to thunderous roar,
Caught off guard our branches soared.
Soared and stretched
and ripped and retched,
Snapped and torn and yanked from ground,
Some carried away, never to be found.
We tried to keep our footing firm,
Desperation, terror churned.
Our roots clenched tight with every turn.
Huddled with our branches tight,
We clung to each other for dear life.
Then suddenly quiet it was gone,
Swift it came and it moved on.
And in that instant we were changed,
Youth was stripped, innocence ravaged.
Destruction looming large surround,
Our hearts were crushed, pieces on the ground.
But we rose proud, starting small
And once again we grew tall.
Most of us grew scarred and bent.
A few of us grew quite grotesque.
And those that clung with locked embrace
Grew woven, as wounds would not erase.
Thirty years have come and gone,
Remnants borne from that great storm.
But God in His great grace adorns
our scars, and places some would see
are hid by seasons’ finery.
And winter bears a rarity,
For now we do curve gracefully.
~ by Alexandria Sage.
“I like trees because they seem more resigned to the way they have to live than other things do.”
~ Willa Cather
“Magic lives in curves, not angles.” ~ Mason Cooley
“… and some fell down and some grew tall. And those surviving twenty winter thaws, have the sweetest fruit of all.” ~ lyrics to “Better Not To Know” by Amy Grant
“It is difficult to realize how great a part of all that is cheerful and delightful in the recollections of our own life is associated with trees.” ~Wilson Flagg
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I am submitting this as part of what I think are my best poems from 2013 for NaPoWriMo 2014.
I followed Ming Thein’s recommendations for photography as described in his post. For several years I’ve taken photos of these trees and kept their story in the back of my mind. It’s about time it was told. I think it is easily said the story of trees can mimic the storms in our own lives. Perhaps this is why God surrounds us with so many—vivid reminders to “stay the storm”, stand together, lean on one another, hold one another. Just as trees find a means of survival through one another, should we do no less? Peace, Alexandria
SimplySage 
Amy
/ June 23, 2013Beautiful poem! I often think trees reflect our lives… “And once again we grew tall.
Most of us grew scarred and bent.”– Thank you, Alexandria!
SimplySage
/ June 23, 2013I couldn’t agree with you more. Tree metaphors, right?
Thanks for the visit and comments, Amy.
wanderoneday
/ June 23, 2013I really loved this part:
“…And then one day out from the sky,
From whence it came the ocean’s cry.
The breeze grew gust and gust grew strong,
From gentle breeze to thunderous roar,
Caught off guard our branches soared.
Soared and stretched
and ripped and retched…”
I could just feel the momentum in the wind building and tearing at the trees. Great work 🙂
SimplySage
/ June 23, 2013Thank you. As I’ve walked this land for the past ten years I noticed these shapes. Many did not show til their leaves fell in autumn. I was amazed at the damage they’d endured from a hurricane so far away. Their resilience shines through. I have many more photos but I had to stop sometime. 🙂 Thanks for your visit and comments.
Mariane
/ June 23, 2013Simply Marvellous !!! 😀
SimplySage
/ June 23, 2013Thank you. So glad you enjoyed!
serif and spice
/ June 23, 2013The light rays in the second photo are beautiful and I also loved the winter branches and snow. Lovely!
Imelda
/ June 23, 2013Beautiful photos and poem. 🙂
gita4elamats
/ June 23, 2013I love trees; thanks for the lovely pics and poem! 🙂
SimplySage
/ June 24, 2013Your welcome. I’m glad you enjoyed.
gita4elamats
/ June 24, 2013😀
Bridgette
/ June 23, 2013This is so beautiful!! Lovely lovely post!
SimplySage
/ June 24, 2013Thank you, Bridgette. Such a nice compliment!
SimplySage
/ June 26, 2013Thank you for such a nice compliment. I’m glad you enjoyed it.
LB
/ June 24, 2013Impressive … both photos and poetry!
mithriluna
/ June 25, 2013How lovely! Wonderful pictures and poem!
SimplySage
/ June 26, 2013Thank you so much. Glad you stopped by and so glad you enjoyed.
Kari Ann
/ June 25, 2013Beautiful poetry.
SimplySage
/ June 26, 2013Thank you, Kari. With your tornado experience it will be interesting to see your own StormScape years from now.
Apple Hill Cottage
/ June 26, 2013Oh the photos go with the words so well. I love tree photos, and these are glorious.
SimplySage
/ June 26, 2013Thank you. I love trees, too. I find them captivating. So many stories they could tell.
Rob
/ June 26, 2013Some of these photos are so amazing, and leave no doubt as to the subject because my eye is drawn straight to it. These are a few of my favorites: 1) The trees draw my eyes straight up to the sky; 2) The sky is so dramatic and my eye follows the dark clouds down to the break where the sun’s light and rays shine through; 9) It is so beautiful how the sun is in the background, yet my eye is drawn from the front of the photo through the trees to the light; and 10) The snow is the star of this photo, making the forest look very stark and creepy, but so beautiful. I enjoyed all of the photos, but those four really caught my eye.
Poetry! Oh, what an extra special treat! It captures both the storms and the calm serenity of nature in the forest. Lovely.
SimplySage
/ June 28, 2013Thank you for your detailed critique and pointing out the photos that caught your eye. I’m glad for your visit and that you enjoyed.
SimplySage
/ June 28, 2013And thank you for your follow. Nice to have you! I’ll definitely visit your place.
Tina Schell
/ June 27, 2013Beautiful Alexandra. The story is well told, both thru your words and your photos
SimplySage
/ June 28, 2013Thank you, Tina. Always appreciate your thoughts.
fgassette
/ June 28, 2013Love the second photo.
Thank you for visiting my blog today. I appreciate the time you took to stop by. May your day be filled with joy and peace.
BE ENCOURAGED! BE BLESSED!
Zhang Wenjie
/ July 12, 2013Beautiful words and photos – especially the second one!
SimplySage
/ July 17, 2013Thank you. I’m very humbled and honored that a photographer of your talent would say so. I so admire your work.
GEE
/ September 3, 2013Beautiful! I so love how you knit words into poems and convert photos into words… Does that make sense? 😀 This post made my day, thank you!
SimplySage
/ September 3, 2013Makes beautiful sense and is a very thoughtful comment. Thank you. You honor and humble me with your words.