Friday, April 07, 2006

Rain Trees, Bedok South

Samanea saman
image by dsnake1


On a stretch of avenue leading to my workplace is a long row of old rain trees growing by the roadside. In hot weather, these majestic trees provide welcome shade to anyone walking under their canopies. Their trunks and branches are home to ferns, creepers, chameleons and lizards.

------------------------------------------

Rain Trees, Bedok South


I have passed this road
       countless times,
where the rain trees stood
like ancient sentinels,
walked in the shadows
of their giant arms,

but have not seen
them
       flower
             like this,

splashes of pink
lacing their leaves,
as painted by Matisse.
all these years
they brooded

and today
finally
       they
           smiled.



13.3.06

********

the image is a scan of a pencil drawing of a rain tree in the Botanic Gardens, Singapore.

15 Comments:

Blogger floots said...

smiling rain trees
that's an image to hold
thank you

07 April, 2006 23:57  
Blogger GK said...

Great ending - "all these years they brooded and today finally they smiled" - memorable!

08 April, 2006 09:48  
Blogger dsnake1 said...

floots,
thank you. The poem was written in a short space of time. I was taking a smoking break outside my office building, looking at the trees, when the words just fell into place. Funny thing, poetry.

gilbert,
glad you find the ending memorable. After i rearranged the line breaks, i like it too. :)

08 April, 2006 16:35  
Blogger Unknown said...

O, what a wounderful poem this is. It is well writen. I like it very much.

08 April, 2006 21:43  
Blogger dsnake1 said...

hello david,
thanks for dropping by!
glad you like the poem. :)

09 April, 2006 15:55  
Blogger lAzy pAnda said...

how come i nvr get such poetic inspirations during my smoke breaks??!! *lights up*

but dsnake i like the last stanza... not only it painted a beautiful pic but it tells me, even after yrs of barreness, beautiful things can still happen :)

09 April, 2006 21:59  
Blogger dsnake1 said...

panda,
what type of cigarettes you smoked? I rolled my own with blended tobacco.

Nah, just kidding!

Yah, after i wrote it, i said to myself, hey , did i just wrote that?
:)

09 April, 2006 22:20  
Blogger Alson Teo said...

Hmm ... should I take up smoking? Hee hee. :)

09 April, 2006 23:26  
Blogger Alson Teo said...

This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

09 April, 2006 23:26  
Blogger dsnake1 said...

alson,
don't even think about it! It's an expensive habit!

it's my only remaining vice. (okay, i still drink a bit sometimes) :)

10 April, 2006 12:28  
Blogger "ME" Liz Strauss said...

I wish I could sit under those trees. I can see them smiling now. For a poem writing in a short time you have made the image so clear in my mind. It must have had a sure impact on your soul.

13 April, 2006 05:01  
Blogger dsnake1 said...

Hi Liz,
thanks for dropping by.

It's funny, most of my better poems were written in a short span of time. maybe it's a burst of creativity, maybe i'm in sync with the subject at that time.

Glad you like the poem. :)

13 April, 2006 23:25  
Blogger lAzy pAnda said...

yah expensive vice [at least in sg].... thank goodness i get to drink for free! hahahaa

17 April, 2006 22:21  
Blogger Pat Paulk said...

Love this one!!!

19 April, 2006 07:14  
Blogger dsnake1 said...

panda,
what to do, every time raise tax.

pat,
i love this poem too, maybe it's simple but effective.

19 April, 2006 08:55  

Post a Comment

<< Home