“Have you ever noticed a tree standing naked against the sky,
How beautiful it is?
All its branches are outlined, and in its nakedness
There is a poem, there is a song.”
~Krishnamurti
I was halfway to work this morning, lost in an audiobook, when the silhouette of a tree caught my eye. In the cold morning its branches etched the sky like tributaries intertwining at a delta. It was stark, intricate and magnificent. Somehow, it pierced my inattention and snapped me out of Maoist China and into the present day. I turned the CD off and tuned into the scenery around me.
It was a stunning November morning, and until that moment, I hadn’t even noticed. The rolling farmland spilled away from the edges of the road, in undulating, glistening hills. Frost-covered shingles sparkled on rooftops and lazy curls of smoke drifted from brick chimneys. By the side of the road, fallen leaves skipped and danced in the wake of passing cars, their edges curled inward, as if to ward off the chill. Frozen dew cloaked the fading blooms on leggy weeds with dazzling crystals. A man and his dog walked along briskly, their breath feathering the air with billowing plumes. Farther along, down at the river, the water reflected the last vestiges of fall color, and breathed wraiths of fog that swirled and glowed in the morning light. Concealing. Revealing. Overhead, a flock of geese flew by, underlit by the rising sun. I took it all in, entranced by the beauty, and thankful that I’d finally noticed the gift of this morning.
November Morning
The rising sun gilds the treetops’
remnant bronzy leaves
and warms the bellies
of low-flying geese
to amber glow
(c) Molly Hogan, 2017
Jama Rattigan is hosting Poetry Friday today at her delicious blog, Jama’s Alphabet Soup. She always serves up a feast, so be sure to drop by and enjoy today’s offerings!
Nix the comfort zone 
Molly, your introduction is as much a poem as the lines you presented as a poem, which I also love! I like the idea of the bellies of geese being warmed by the rising sun. Enjoy your mornings!
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Autumn seems especially beautiful to me this year. Or perhaps I’m simply more tuned into it. At any rate, thanks for stopping by and commenting. I hope you’re enjoying your mornings, too.
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Thank you for this beautiful post, Molly. Your lyrical description is breathtaking, and your poem simply wonderful. Love those warm bellies of geese. 🙂
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Wow, Molly. Thank you for sharing your moment of zen! And that, my friends, is why it’s important to stop and pay attention.
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Thanks, Michelle. It was one of those moments that really reminded me to pay a bit more attention to my surroundings! Sadly, I continue to need that reminder on a relatively frequent basis.
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I’m trying to decide which I like better–your poem or the lyrical description leading up to it. Wow. Thank you for sharing the beauty of this morning. And while I love trees in all their seasons, nothing takes my breath away like the sight of bare branches against the sky.
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Thanks, Kay. I’ve always loved trees and am thankful that this one startled me out of my audiobook daze. Right now I’m looking out at some bare branches against the darkening sky and it’s just beautiful. (though I’d be happy if it weren’t quite so dark already!)
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It is the work of a poet to notice and note in a way that helps the reader experience the same moment in time. I love that glow of sun warming the bellies of geese. Ah, me!
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Your poem is stunning as is the elegant image! I was also quite taken by your narrative description of the morning as you took it all–beautiful. I love looking at the trees all year through, but when they loose their leaves they are even more majestic. Thanks for all here Molly, it’s been a treat!
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You are a poet, Molly–the best words in the best order. Well done. By the way, as a librarian, I’m always interested in what others are reading. What’s the book you’re listening to?
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What a lovely compliment, Diane. Thank you! I was listening to Lisa See’s book “Dreams of Joy” (apparently it is a sequel, which I didn’t realize until I finished). I was absolutely fascinated with the historical setting (China in the late 1950s).
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I was going to say what Linda said — your intro was a fabulous prose poem! Gorgeous photo, too.
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Thanks, Mary Lee. It was such a beautiful morning!
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Molly, what a beautiful trio: blog post, photo and poem. All poetic!
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Fabulous post. Your photo made me want to write a poem, too. Quite different than yours, which I also like very much.
The breath of midnight
lies heavy on the pond
at dawn, listening.
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Oh, this is lovely, Brenda!
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🙂
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