Arboreal: Sweet Maple Bare

Back in August, Julie Prichard at The Land of Lost Luggage suggested we take a photograph of a favoured tree. Often operating as a literalist, I photographed my single, on property Maple tree.

Maple Tree, August 2009

Now months later, wind blowing, rain pouring, and one unsettling early October snow, my Maple's leaves have become a nesting ground for my animal neighbours and the tree itself stands starkly proud.

Maple Tree, November 2009

The poet, John Clare, talks to us on
The Maple Tree

The Maple with its tassell flowers of green
That turns to red, a stag horn shapèd seed
Just spreading out its scallopped leaves is seen,
Of yellowish hue yet beautifully green.
Bark ribb'd like corderoy in seamy screed
That farther up the stem is smoother seen,
Where the white hemlock with white umbel flowers
Up each spread stoven to the branches towers
And mossy round the stoven spread dark green
And blotched leaved orchis and the blue-bell flowers -
Thickly they grow and neath the leaves are seen.
I love to see them gemm'd with morning hours.
I love the lone green places where they be
And the sweet clothing of the Maple tree.

Come Spring the Maple will drape itself, once more, in russet leaves and shade me from the open sky.