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Whittles and Wood Poetry Prompt: Growth Rings

By Heather Eure 28 Comments

A cross-section cut through the trunk of a tree reveals its rings. Each visible ring marks the passage of a year, and tells us a little bit about what kind of year it was. The scientific practice of tree-dating is called Dendrochronology. Areas of application include paleoecology (study of past climates and ecologies); archaeology, in which it’s used to date buildings and old art panel paintings; and in radiocarbon dating. Growth rings are the well-kept journal in the life of a tree.

Thanks to everyone who participated in last week’s poetry prompt. Here is a poem from Karen we enjoyed:

and the earth slowed
for a moment
reconsidering itself;

while soft rains came
loosening its grip
on yesterday;

leaning on reinvention
it gave away
its loveliness;

’til stillness found its place
and touched our hearts
with November

—by Karen Mae Zoccoli

***

POETRY PROMPT: You are a tree (what kind of tree will you be?). Pick a single growth ring and write a poem about what you witnessed during the course of the year. What did you learn? How have you grown?

Photo by Marilyn Peddle. Creative Commons license via Flickr. Post by Heather Eure.

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Heather Eure
Heather Eure
Heather Eure has served as the Poetry Editor for the late Burnside Collective and Special Projects Editor for us at Tweetspeak Poetry. Her poems have appeared at Every Day Poems. Her wit has appeared just about everywhere she's ever showed up, and if you're lucky you were there to hear it.
Heather Eure
Latest posts by Heather Eure (see all)
  • Poetry Prompt: Misunderstood Lion - March 19, 2018
  • Animate: Lions & Lambs Poetry Prompt - March 12, 2018
  • Poetry Prompt: Behind the Velvet Rope - February 26, 2018

Filed Under: Blog, poetry prompt, poetry teaching resources, Whittles & Wood Poems, writing prompts

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Comments

  1. Megan Willome says

    November 24, 2014 at 9:28 am

    Love that photo, Marilyn!

    Reply
  2. Will Willingham says

    November 24, 2014 at 11:05 am

    Not a new one, but it fits for a prompt about growth rings. 🙂

    ***

    Back

    I don’t know how to age
    a tree, without cutting it open
    to count the rings.

    This tree in front of the tan house,
    taller than its two stories,
    is it older than me?

    Did it once watch my yellow hair,
    my skinny legs grow,
    and cover me while I drank

    Kool Aid in July
    and tried to decide
    whether to follow

    my brother
    or my sister
    around that day.

    Reply
    • Heather Eure says

      November 29, 2014 at 8:07 pm

      Oh, I like this very much. So good!

      Reply
  3. Marcy says

    November 25, 2014 at 1:44 am

    Tall is my tree

    It’s the very tall
    Big, Bold and Mighty.
    Dark Green
    Year round
    Cedar is her name.
    She accepts
    Birds all her life,
    For they seek her for shelter.
    She feeds them
    Bitter blue tiny berries.
    Wind comes,
    Boy can she sway.
    Snow hangs onto her,
    She’s dressed in white today.

    Reply
    • Heather Eure says

      November 29, 2014 at 8:09 pm

      A lovely piece, Marcy. I can picture your cedar dressed in snow.

      Reply
  4. Donna says

    November 25, 2014 at 8:20 am

    What’s all this knocking
    On wood?

    The Center ring
    will always
    have its way.

    http://thebrightersideblog.blogspot.com/2014/11/knocking-on-wood.html

    Reply
    • Heather Eure says

      November 29, 2014 at 8:10 pm

      Clever, Donna! I like it.

      Reply
  5. Robbie Pruitt says

    November 25, 2014 at 9:38 pm

    Palm

    The palm sways
    Without breaking
    In response to storms.
    It bows to breaking days,
    And shimmers in the sun’s rays.

    The palm waves
    To eternity—at the majesty.
    It shimmers with the glory
    And falls at its master’s feet
    To bring in the rest of the story.

    © November 25, 2014, Robbie Pruitt

    Reply
    • Robbie Pruitt says

      November 28, 2014 at 12:43 pm

      Here is a link to this poem with a graphic: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10152897567951738&set=p.10152897567951738&type=1&theater

      Reply
    • Heather Eure says

      November 29, 2014 at 8:14 pm

      Wonderful, Robbie! Thought-provoking … with a handful of words.

      Reply
  6. Richard Maxson says

    November 26, 2014 at 12:35 pm

    Rings With a Twist

    From a near quartet the notes, like birds
    across the yard, fell on my fragile limbs.
    Then morning came, the peal the novice heard,
    and from a window, perhaps thought it absurd
    to see a sapling turning, as the words
    of Lauds, made modest clouds like silent hymns.
    Years gone, folks guess about the twist that gird
    my mighty trunk, not one suspects the chimes.

    Reply
    • Heather Eure says

      November 29, 2014 at 8:19 pm

      I’ve read this several times and found something new to ponder each time. A pleasure to read. Thank you, Richard!

      Reply
  7. Karen Mae Zoccoli says

    November 26, 2014 at 5:46 pm

    Rings of You

    I’ve seen the birds on easy wings
    and felt their gentle lingering

    As sun and moon chased the light
    threading years with day and night

    I’ve seen the newness of a spring
    And felt the chill that winters bring

    Flowers that have come and gone
    hopes and dreams that carry on

    Long after all my green has browned
    spun their way upon the ground

    Despite the frost and snowy fury
    wind and ice cannot bury

    The fervor of the righteous heart
    that knows of heaven’s better part

    And keeps me in good company
    by silent prayers’ great mystery

    That binds me with an ageless mark
    encircling this wooden lark

    If only you could hear me sing
    the song embedded in these rings

    My world is of much quieter things
    of lives drawn out in wooden rings

    Then when the passing time has come
    when these days on earth are done

    I’ll remain here standing true
    my rings remembering all of you

    Reply
    • Robbie Pruitt says

      November 26, 2014 at 6:47 pm

      This is so good Karen!!

      This is really nice:

      “If only you could hear me sing
      the song embedded in these rings

      My world is of much quieter things
      of lives drawn out in wooden rings”

      Great poem.

      Reply
      • Marcy says

        November 26, 2014 at 9:50 pm

        Karen,

        This is beautiful, how you added the rings, seasons, true feelings of the tree. Enjoyed reading it so much, very good poem.

        Reply
        • Karen Mae Zoccoli says

          November 26, 2014 at 11:49 pm

          Thanks Marcy so glad you enjoyed it!

          Reply
      • Karen Mae Zoccoli says

        November 26, 2014 at 11:48 pm

        Thank you Robbie 🙂

        Reply
    • Donna says

      November 26, 2014 at 6:48 pm

      Wow. It’s so lyrical. I can FEEL the rings. I really love this line: “encircling this wooden lark” and that was my favorite line until I saw this: “lives drawn out in wooden rings,” and now I can’t decide…so I won’t 🙂

      Reply
      • Karen Mae Zoccoli says

        November 26, 2014 at 11:50 pm

        Thanks Donna I really appreciate your comments!

        Reply
    • Heather Eure says

      November 29, 2014 at 8:23 pm

      Yes! Karen, you’ve woven together a beautiful poem. It shines.

      Reply
    • Elizabeth Marshall says

      November 30, 2014 at 3:00 pm

      Great day this is lovely.
      Love EVERY line.

      Reply
  8. Marcy Terwilliger says

    November 29, 2014 at 6:45 pm

    When the Proud Die

    A giant tree fell
    In a forest of green
    Four hundred years old
    If you count her rings.
    Lightening, storms, great
    Winds came by,
    Tree stood their force
    She had pride.
    Others collapsed,
    Redwood stood strong
    What took her life
    That fate of a day?
    Deep down inside her
    Hidden away
    Elements of the Redwood
    Died
    Collapsed.
    Attack within
    Insects, termites, devoured
    Her flesh.
    Souls like us,
    Just like this tree
    Should find the one on
    The barren hill,
    Called Calvary.
    One older than time
    Covers all our mistakes
    Yours and mine,
    Of past and future.
    Rest assured this tree
    Will never fall.
    God is good to one and all.

    Reply
    • Heather Eure says

      November 29, 2014 at 8:26 pm

      A tree from the root of Jesse. Thank you, Marcy.

      Reply
    • Karen Mae Zoccoli says

      November 30, 2014 at 5:57 pm

      This is really nice, Marcy. Felt like I was reading a wonderful story, and of course, I was. Loved the rhythm of the words, and the tie-in to Calvary.

      Reply
  9. Elizabeth Marshall says

    November 30, 2014 at 1:43 pm

    Karen, simply beautiful.

    Reply
    • Karen Mae Zoccoli says

      November 30, 2014 at 5:46 pm

      Thanks for your comments, Elizabeth.

      Reply
  10. Elizabeth Marshall says

    November 30, 2014 at 2:28 pm

    Grand Dame

    Without pretense
    Or ostentatious show
    Covered in a shield
    Of thick and rugged skin
    Crustier than three-week old bread
    She stands
    Rooted in composting
    Blend of rich black soil and lily white sand
    Rains down her fruit upon this
    Borrowed land
    While we argue about where to place the emphasis
    Which syllable and which a, short or long
    when we call her name
    and all the while
    her story
    told, soft and low
    sweet chariot
    whispered
    By each ring
    She, a quiet orator
    holding tight to secrets so circuitously
    about this beloved place
    while rodents store her fruit
    and Southerns, nuts
    for pie
    and I take note,
    and watch
    Quiet secret keeper
    passing on her gifts
    How to hold on tight to story
    and a life
    and never, ever tell
    while I take notes
    and prepare
    to mop up

    Spilled secrets mixed with
    Flour on my floor

    Reply
    • Karen Mae Zoccoli says

      November 30, 2014 at 5:52 pm

      Elizabeth – I love your title, and feel of this, especially the lines:

      “Crustier than three-week old bread”, and

      “How to hold on tight to story
      and a life
      and never, ever tell”

      ….really enjoyed reading this!

      Reply

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