J. R. Carpenter: the trees

for Christine Stewart

starting.

to do some thinking.
about trees. and the light they inhabit.

the corners they round. the hills they climb.
the ridges they crest. the winds they break.

and the way. some are for display.
and some are for hiding behind.

thinking.

also. about trees.
and their doubling.

shadow trees. wall trees.
water trees. trees of pure colour.

and same again. for the fungal web.
rot. and all the roots under.

a thinking walk.

along a light-flecked wall.
to where the colour clumps.

in a copse.
of orange.

standing.

under a larch. turning golden.
borders on. a benediction.

with what tree language.

to think. the river through.
roots. finding grykes. in limestone.

what spaces.

between trees. and their leaves.
can the river write. light. into.

the slight.

shift. in elevation. or declination.
from the upper town. down. to the lower.

skews the perspective. of trees rooted.
somewhere. in the middle.

towering. over stone houses.
tiny. or distant.

an iris. of leaves.
bright. in a diffuse light.

the sky beyond. heavy.
rain always. a possibility.

the eye is drawn. to density.
a dark. of trunk. a clump. of ivy.

a shadow. in the centre.
a blind spot. a pupil.

when will.

the last. of these leaves. leave us.
the last. of the gold gilt. elm dance. above us.

the low sun. blind us. to squint path.
past bare bone. shadows thrown.

over green fields. unfurling.
round stone walls. climbing.

into blue distance.

stopping. standing. breathing.
with a cold wind. rattling.

a dwarf oak. sheltering.
in a deep lane.

fleeting.

there are small birds.
among us.

wind.

snow. cold. and then some.
trees bare. their skeletons.

the sky breaks.

the trees.
into wind shapes.

everything wakes.
everything moving.