I was reading through the submission guidelines of a literary journal recently and was struck by the disclaimer that it does not want poems about trees. And, I get it—there are a lot of poems about trees, about ‘nature,’ that ruminate in a sort of passive way while the action of the world is elsewhere. Poems about
‘Culture’ was set above ‘nature’ - This phrase had impacted me deeply Freya. I have not read in a long time something as evocative and beautifully articulated as this article about the inseparable connection between human and nature. Your elegies and epiphanies on the beauty and treachery of your land beckon to my spirit. I find myself lost in admiration of your revelations and profound grief and anger about the oppressive past. When I named my newsletter Berkana, I wanted to evoke the blessings of mother birch to help me on my path to exorcise cultural traumas by connecting people to their native land. Or at least that was the intention. And now after reading this, I am realigned with that purpose. Thank you for being a light of guidance.
I wonder if the concept of Finding The Mother Tree and book by that name has been heard of by those who want no more “tree poems”? That and the mycelium I think it’s called. https://suzannesimard.com/finding-the-mother-tree-book/
Your essay is wonderful. As someone who lives in a forest of ponderosa pines, I am continuously in awe. They are present and witness to so much. To discount their existence says much about the editorial staff of the lit mag. Let's write tree poems together.
‘Culture’ was set above ‘nature’ - This phrase had impacted me deeply Freya. I have not read in a long time something as evocative and beautifully articulated as this article about the inseparable connection between human and nature. Your elegies and epiphanies on the beauty and treachery of your land beckon to my spirit. I find myself lost in admiration of your revelations and profound grief and anger about the oppressive past. When I named my newsletter Berkana, I wanted to evoke the blessings of mother birch to help me on my path to exorcise cultural traumas by connecting people to their native land. Or at least that was the intention. And now after reading this, I am realigned with that purpose. Thank you for being a light of guidance.
I'm here for tree poems.
I wonder if the concept of Finding The Mother Tree and book by that name has been heard of by those who want no more “tree poems”? That and the mycelium I think it’s called. https://suzannesimard.com/finding-the-mother-tree-book/
Your essay is wonderful. As someone who lives in a forest of ponderosa pines, I am continuously in awe. They are present and witness to so much. To discount their existence says much about the editorial staff of the lit mag. Let's write tree poems together.