Boxed in

Creak of ropes melds with creak of trees

Bare wooden boxes swing in the breeze

Contorted bone and spine are folded in

Cubes of splintered wood on naked skin

Swinging high amongst leaves and limbs

Incarcerated at the furious forest’s whim

Open to elements and nature’s powers

Punishing heat, cold, wind and showers

Revenge is as sour as the dirt and sweat

In which tree slayers languish until death

 

© Kim M. Russell, 2016

all-in-our-boxes_by_rob-woodcox-600_350

Image by Rob Woodcox

My response to Mindlovemisery’s Menagerie Photo Challenge #130, also linked to dVerse Poets Pub Opening to the Muse–dVerse Quadrille #16

Inspired by the wonderful song by Rush, ‘The Trees’

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JnC88xBPkkc 

 

26 thoughts on “Boxed in”

  6. I’m so glad you put the photo at the bottom because it allowed me to play with meaning. At first, I felt the freedom of a swing, enjoying being in the beauty of a forest but then there was that sudden transistion that raised all kinds of questions. Well done.

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  10. This reminds me of a poem I wrote called “Tree Killers”. I watched in horror as my neighbour took down about eight humongous trees for no apparent reason. Changed my view forever and seemed so disrespectful to nature. I like the intensity of your poem and the thought of trees taking revenge.

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    1. Thanks, Mish. Trees are my most favourite plant on the planet and we’re lucky to have a smallish garden that is full of trees and very shady. We also have a very annoying neighbour who doesn’t actually live in his house, it’s a holiday home, and he wanted to chop down some of our trees – we said no!

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  11. Wow.. first.. amazing.. a poet shared Ammonia Avenue from
    Alan Parson’s yesterday.. and now Kim is sharing
    The Trees by the great deep deep band
    Rush where every song is
    a masterpiece of
    poetry too..
    same as
    Alan Parson’s
    too.. Led Zeppelin..
    etc.. wHere the words
    of the new age prophets
    are written on concert hall
    walls.. more and less.. as back
    in the red state town i live in..
    deeper ways of poetry
    could only be
    found then..
    in Rock and
    Roll.. so watered
    down it is now.. compared
    to what Geddy Lee and Rush
    could do to bRing so much meaning
    to Lyrics of a Song in the 70s back then..
    most sadly nature deficit disorder rules the
    world a cultural cancer upon the earth that
    is erasing breathing from the Tree oF LiFE supplied
    as oxygen
    to the
    heArt
    of what
    Mammal liFe
    does best.. Breathe..
    A Tree oF liFe iN liGht..:)

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