Yvonne, The Organic Writer, is hosting the Festival of Trees. In the past, we've discussed our favorite tree, so in honor of my favorite tree, I thought I'd write a poem about it.
It’s like this
I tuck the paperback in my shorts
Flex my keds
And reach up for the second wooden “step”
I pull up, swat one knee until it finds footing on the lowest two by four
Pull up
Step up
The leaves below move farther away
Pull up
Step up
At the fork
I twist and climb the ladder snaking up the trunk’s back
Through the trap door, I pop my head
Wiggle
and
Land
On the battered wooden floor of my treehouse
Although it’s not really mine
Just a hand me down
From neighborhood boys who grew to cool to care
I settle into my corner spot
Rest against a sturdy branch
Back to my unpredictable household
And turn to yesterday’s last page
Its telltale folded corner begging me to finish
Someone else’s story
As a kid, I used to devour books in my treehouse. My all time favorite reading spot.
What's your favorite place to read?
xoxo,
Suzanne
About Me
- Suzanne Casamento
- Author of Fingerprints, Choosing Tally, and All the Moments in Between. Tweet me @suzannecasamento
I love your poem and that your tree held a getaway house where you read. Perfect place for imagination. This morning I listened to Neil Gaiman's accpetance speech for the Carnegie award, in which he said reading gives kids the chance to see through someone else's eyes.
ReplyDeleteIt does that, doesn't it? Opens doors into other worlds and makes our own so much bigger.
Big leather side chair in our library. Great view of the Greens, nice and quiet, warmed in the winter by the sun, bright and welcoming in the summer.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful poem, Suzanne! My answer's pretty boring in comparison, but my favorite place to read is in bed, wherever I happen to be that day.
ReplyDeleteOh! I love your poem. I didn't know you were a poet. And such an accomplished one at that. What a wonderful addition to the fest. I love this line..."Just a hand me down
ReplyDeleteFrom neighborhood boys who grew to cool to care"
And the last two lines....just perfect.
My favorite childhood place to read was similar...an old pear tree with the perfect fork for sitting and hiding which I'm going to write about for the festival.
Thanks again for this.
Awesome poem :-)
ReplyDeleteWhen I was a kid I lived on a street with giant chestnut trees. But at the end, near the park, there was a gorgeous weeping willow tree with just the right tree branch angles to form a seat about midway up. I climbed it every day after school and read until my parents got home from work.
wonderfully tactile - thanks for sharing this piece.
ReplyDeleteWonderful poem. I can see you climbing. I never had a tree like that...wish I had one now.
ReplyDeletegorgeous. i especially like that it's hand-me-down tree house from the older boys. great pace with the stepping and pulling up.
ReplyDeletefavorite place to read: a great reading chair. yeah, i'm so conventional:)
Oh I loved that. I've always read absolutely anywhere... i always get so absorbed that surroundings disappear!
ReplyDelete