fir tree dreaming
Once upon a time
in a winter world
high on a hill
between a shadowy valley
and the icy pinnacle
of an unclimbed mountain
stood a forest
and deep among the evergreens
a little fir tree grew
fresh and fragrant as his parent pines.
Snow fell day in and day out
it blurred the contours of the land
making all one
immense and marvellous.
And as the sun sank
and the moon rose opposite in the sky
snow lay heavy and silent
melancholy as a dreamless sleep.
The trees, wearing thick mantles,
pillows on their branches,
taking furry breath
and sighing with the wind, sang,
from their great height and many years
'Sleep, sleep, little tree
safe beneath our canopy
Dream, dream, little tree
Dream, dream....'
From the distant - down - below
a slow shape seems to move and grow
It is a man
who's plodding progress
marks the vast unbroken snow
each foot placed sinks
before the next
an axe upon his shoulder rests.
Fir Tree starts to stretch and preen
to seem as green as ever fir tree dreamed
Ah Tree!
Forgetful in your prickly pride
the axes arc is high and wide
as it curves and catches
the suns last rays
it glints and flashes
as the sheer blade crashes
with a chop and a crack
that comes echoing back
and the blow throws the snow
from his thrumming branches.
The points of his senses
and the airs icy edges
come melted and muffled
and curve down to earth
sinking and failing
and falling away
as sun meets horizon
at dying of day.
Through his blurry fir tree senses
what objects he began to see
hanging from his spiny branches
hanging from his limbs
Oh Tree!-
Cones of gold there were
and silver
spiders webs
glow worm threads
rainbow trails
aurora tangles
incandescent specks and spangles
and on his highest limb - a star
of such size -
Oh sighs of wonder!
How he shimmered how he shone
tinkled and twinkled with pride
Oh Tree!
The laughing dancing human beings
pass their time with gifts and wine
all around admiring faces
he caught them in his crystal spheres
and shone them back again.
From morn 'til night
in warmth and light
Oh Fir Tree!
Beauty!
Shining bright!
Days passed and the nights
spent standing in his glory
the moon set on its path
waxing pale and benign
now beaming full face
now waning sadly and slimming
descending sickle
cold and cruel
and inside young fir tree heaven
those faces that were filled with awe
now began to yawn and bore
and draw away.
Now heavy hung the charms
upon his weakening limbs
now sometimes
in the silent sleeping house
a needle tear would drop
and the sound of falling stars
would echo in the emptiness.
How now the faces frown
watching as his falling needles
made a great mess all around -
there he saw Himself
all laying
strewn upon the ground.
Oh such a day so sad a day
Oh Tree!
When all was taken from him
all his finery
cones of gold and webs of silver
precious Alpine flowers of light
and the star that crowned his glory
laid to rest in tissued night.
Faces that had adored him
hands that had adorned him
pulled him now across the floor
threw him roughly out the door!
Without even his green needle coat
without his prickly pride.
On the fire! They sang dancing!
On the fire? No! He cried!
Colours bursting all around him
crackling flashing points of flame
as he felt his sweet sap pining
rising resin blood on fire
as it's fragrance floated skyward
prickly needle tears he cried.
As the world burned
so it turned him
swirled him round
from pole to pole
and he seemed to grow much colder
and to sleep and yet to wake
dizzy dropping
spinning stopping
grey mist lifting from the scene...
Could it all have been a dream?
Colours streaking
scorch horizon
as the sun bleeds from the sky.
Could it be the tree still standing?
Roots in earth and shoots in air
needles pointing dense and green
could it all have been a dream?
See his slender
tender treeness
and his limbs so gently laden
with the old familiar snow.
Safe among his parent pines now
he is sure he'll never roam
from his snowy hill top home
for the birds here sing more sweetly
than tinkling glass or choir of men
and no face so smiling friendly
as that of his friend the moon
waxing and waning
the sun rising shining
showers and sets
and snow falls
snow on snow
always falling
gently forever falling
silently
softly
snow on snow
snow on snow...