642 Things To write About requires that we name the trees in the neighbourhood where we grew up.

These Two Trees

It was Mothers Day
Back in the days of separation
Before separation meant departure
We planted her a cherry tree
Near the fence
On the right
Looking down towards the garage
Where an old car waited
To take her child
All the way to Wolverhampton

North of Wolverhampton
A scrappy common
With trees
Pretends to be a wood
The child is yoked
To an oak
Where he looks to the ground
Recognises sand stone
The whittling stone
In the wood of royalty

The child is no climber
But the child tries
Like most climbers
Finds it easier going up
Than the travails going down
But on this ground
These stunted trunks
Not high enough to
Point to the boy his home

So climbing down
And going down
Being beat down
And staying down
He’ll never raise again
Never climb again
Never reach the top
Of cherry tree or oak
Where hearts are engraved
Until the last full stop

Richard Downes
14th August 2020