I took this photo of these neighboring tree branches—a willow wrapped around a honey locust—by my front porch. They inspired this 2nd tanka.
Friendship
Trees like to hold hands
Bending branches to link leaves
They forge deep friendships
Swaying with the wind—they dance
Under the moonlight—romance
.
Ken Chawkin
Fairfield, Iowa
August 1, 2010
Also see: Willow Tree – a tanka – from a tree’s perspective
And: What Do Trees Do?
Updated: Around 8-9 years later I would read this poem on Sheila Moschen’s Let Your Heart Sing, Variety Show #76.
The Uncarved Blog 
August 1, 2010 at 11:29 pm |
do you know this song?
I know a green cathedral
a shadowed forest shrine
where leaves in love
join hands above
and arch your prayer with mine.
Within its cool depths sacred
the priestly cedar sighs
and the fir and pine
lift arms divine
unto the pure blue skies
and the fir and pine
lift arms divine
unto the pure blue skies
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August 2, 2010 at 2:04 am |
Never heard of it; it’s beautiful. Who wrote and sang it?
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August 2, 2010 at 3:54 pm |
I don’t know..I learned it in chorus in elementary school. the tune is gorgeous too. next time I see you, I will sing it…
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August 2, 2010 at 7:29 pm |
Thanks for singing that song to me. Looking forward to reading those pages from that book you told me about. You left the store before I could see it.
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August 2, 2010 at 11:14 am |
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August 2, 2010 at 12:58 pm |
Thanks for that animated poem of Trees by Joyce Kilmer. We all know the first line but usually forget the rest of it. Nice!
Since we’re on the subject of trees, and comments about them, here’s something I wrote about 15 years ago: What Do Trees Do? http://wp.me/pD0BA-1j6
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August 2, 2010 at 4:38 pm |
The Green Cathedral
Verses: Gordon Johnstone; piano: Carl Hahn
know a green cathedral,
a hallowed forest shrine.
Where trees in love join hands above
to arch your prayer and mine.
Within its cool depths sacred,
the priestly cedar sighs.
And the fir and pine lift arms divine
unto the clear blue skies.
In my dear green cathedral
there is a quiet seat.
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August 3, 2010 at 12:25 am |
thank you Margot…do you know the tune? it would be nice if we could post it on this site with the music..how did you learn it?
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August 3, 2010 at 12:32 am |
ps
it seems like it ended abruptly..like there is more after the quiet seat.
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August 3, 2010 at 12:43 am |
Ken, I had to go to a meeting but I did xerox the pages ..how can I get them to you?
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August 3, 2010 at 12:56 am |
Will email you.
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January 23, 2012 at 4:29 pm |
[…] Trees Do? Something to think about, Willow Tree – a tanka – from a tree’s perspective, and Friendship – another tree tanka. Advertisement GA_googleAddAttr("AdOpt", "1"); GA_googleAddAttr("Origin", "other"); […]
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January 23, 2012 at 4:41 pm |
[…] recent poems from Fairfield, Iowa: Willow Tree – a tanka – from a tree’s perspective, and Friendship – another tree tanka, about two trees in front of my […]
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November 5, 2012 at 12:42 am |
[…] Also see What Do Trees Do? Something to think about, Willow Tree – a tanka – from a tree’s perspective, and Friendship – another tree tanka. […]
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February 11, 2018 at 12:00 am |
[…] see: Friendship – another tree tanka, Willow Tree Tanka II, What Do Trees Do?, and trees—a poem about the […]
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January 9, 2021 at 7:34 pm |
[…] Friendship […]
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