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Monday, 28 September 2009
On Turning Over a New Leaf
When the apple tree turned over a new leaf
it began producing plums.
When the pear turned over a new leaf
it brought forth grapes instead.
When the cherry turned over a new leaf
it found acorns on its branches.
When The Book of Life turned over a new leaf
a skeleton crawled out.
When the woods turned over their new leaves
a million tiny creatures saw the sun.
When these turned over the dead leaves
the dust and ash beneath began to smoke.
When humankind turned over its new leaves
it took leave of its senses
and not until it turned again the old leaves
did the trees bring forth their true and ample fruit.
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51 comments:
Excellent poem David, congratulation.
Let me do a free interpretation:
It is impossible to predict what is going to happen after turning a new leaf. It is highly um predicable.
You can adapt at how the new things are, or try to go back to things were.
IF things are worst you will want to go back, which is what happens now.
Progress is making humanity forget the important things in life, "leave its senses", so just rewind.
lesson learnt. :P
when homo sapiens turned over a new leaf
paper numbers lost their power.
baah...i m pretty dull at this.
sry bout the extra comments. :(
my lap seems to be in a hangover. :P
Love the line about the book of life housing a skeleton... ain't that the truth! Also like the pace of this poem... :-)
and when "the trees bring forth their true and ample fruit",
i danced to celebrate
past yearnings
the songs of old
ruins of love...
thanks for an educative blog...
i have this yearning
never to stop learning.
w.w.
But does humankind have sense enough to re-turn its leaves? I certainly hope it does, but I'm beginning to wonder.
wow, dave? your insight, your creativity is wonderful!
Absolutely loved this conundrum of a
poem. Well done you...
Good idea. I'm surprised you didn't included the tree of life or the tree of knowledge from the Garden of Eden. Or were they too obvious choices?
You might find this article or interest if you decide to do any more work on it. Also have a look at this page and scroll down to 'The Talking Tree' - that might be the source for a whole new poem.
We were just teaching our 5-year-old granddaughter which fruits come from trees vs. vines vs. bushes this weekend.
This completely upends that lesson!
Wonderful. Cycle of life if mankind can get its act together. We seem to forget all the lesons of past generations and are doomed to repeat them over and over.
C
Not just a poem, a philosophy of life.
Life. Just as you put it.
Beautiful poem--this must be an offering in TFE's Monday Poetry(?)--definitely seems Ted Hughes-like--very fine work.
There is deep meaning somewhere in there Dave - needs a lot of re reading methinks before I can get to the bottom of it. Marvellous ideas behind it.
Dave, I wonder ...... where oh where have all those old leaves gone?
Mariana
Yes, I could live with that. Basically the results of nature (excluding mankind) turning a new leaf are unpredictable, but neutrally so. It is mankind turning a new leaf that is the problem.
ScarletTd1ar1es
Like it, like it very much.
the Watercats
Thanks for that
womanwisdom
A very apt quote which I do not know - is it yours?
Karen
I, too, am pessimistic as to that.
Shadow
Mmmm? Thanks for saying so, anyway.
Jinksy
Thanks for that. Glad you liked it.
Jim
Thanks for the links, Jim. I may well develop something from The Talking Tree. It's my kind of thing, is that.
Haven't looked at the other one yet, but will do so soon.
Jeanne
Ouch! Sorry about that!
Carl
Absolutely! Eden lost time and time again. Man still hasn't learnt what to wish for.
Barry
Hadn't thought of it that way... but probably better philosophy than poetry!
Kay
... and death.
John
The thought had occurred... thought it might be a bit cheeky - and didn't think it very Ted Hughes-like.
The Weaver of Grass
Actually not that deep, I think. The shaping idea just came from nowhere.
Helen
Gone as compost, every one!
Dear Dave, it's a splendid poem, it asks to be read and reread. And once more you brought to my mind a poem I wrote: the coincidence is the subject, and the couplets.
I'll put it in my blog, I feel that this often the reason poems are posted...because they are called for by meaningful coincidences.
And rereading your poem I would comment it for ages, with many-coloured contrasting views. But I restrain myself for now and tell you instead that this time the echoes from Dylan Thomas are very strong.
good play on words.
A turn in turn and so it goes... Yes, trees teach this lesson well - it seems that not all have grasped its ever budding, flourishing, and transformative preparation each moment, hour, day, month, season.
I really loved this one Dave.
The leaves turn to compost to start again the cycle of life.
Good and(as always)interesting poem, Dave. Could the problem be not that we have turnred over new leaves ,but that we turned over the wrong leaves?
Great poem and so fitting for this time of year, Dave. Lots of food for thought here.
Dear Dave, I am back! Well, you always surprise us with your great posts...Thanks for sharing!
Have a very nice week,
Take care,
Rosana
Wonderful Dave, that´s poem is so fine work ,like a great life philosophy.
thanks Dave, yes, that's a line that danced (I danced to celebrate...)through my head when i read your poetry. i really loved that last line of yours (the trees bring forth...). i kinda love to create lines that can be connected to others' poetry...it's like my way of letting them know that i got into the depths of their poem. by writing back lines as i reflect...
greetings form these islands...
It has been a while since I visited your blog so I have lots of catching up to do. Always lots of food for thought here.
I laughed with glee at your response to my comment ....
Darn, we lost our senses, all that we are was gone. Impressive turn of phrases here, David.
Loved "true and ample fruit" and it did make me stop and think. Thanks Dave.
beautiful words....!
Tommaso
My thanks to you for those two generous responses. I will indeed have a read of your poem. This internet of our does keep throwing up coincidences, does it not?
Friko
Thanks for the comment.
Rose Marie
Yes, in fact they teach many different lessons we would do well to attend to.
Totalfeckineejit
Yes, indeed, I think that could well be the problem. As I have put it above, non-human nature turns over random new leaves in a way that is neutral. Not so mankind.
willow
Yes, you are right, though I hadn't thought about the poem being seasonal - oddly!
The Lady in Red
Anmd welcome back. Good to have your thoughts again.
ELAINE
Thanks - not sure it rises to those heights, though.
womanwisdom
Thanks. Nice idea and lovely thought of yours.
acornmoon
Welcome back. Yes, we kind'a slipped out of touch. I have been to your blog a couple of times, though not left a comment. Didn't feel qualified to do so, but always enjoyable.
Helen
Can't be bad!
lakeviewer
It's pleasing to me that that particular line seems to have gone home. I thought it might have been overlooked.
Titus
Thank you for that.
Marlene
Much appreciated. Thanks.
This is by far the best poem I've read by you so far. I was literally holding on to the edge of my seat waiting for the clincher and saying to myself: 'Let it be good, let it be good, because it's been great so far'. And man, you are an amazing poet. What a final delivery. Although I have already finished my post for next week's National Poetry Day in the UK (Thu 8th October) I would like to use you poems either on its own or as part of a group of poems I was planning to post anyway. Please, let me know.
Also, with the whole 10:10 agenda on, I would seriously give it some thought to entering it into any competition to do with our environment.
I am speechless. I have read it twice more since I started typing this comment.
Many thanks.
Greetings from London.
A Cuban in London
I am somewhat taken aback, but I would be very happy indeed for you to make use of my poem either on its own or as part of a group, whichever you think best.
I will give thought to entering it in any relevant competition.
My thanks indeed for the interest taken.
A wonderful poem. I look forward to more.
Mama Shujaa
Welcome to my blog and many thanks for taking the trouble to comment.
Dave, great imagery in this! It's almost two different poems. The first section is whimsical and shows unexpected results; the second, beginning "When the woods..." is more realistic and philosophical.
I'll be sharing On Turning Over a New Leaf at the dinner table tonight - it seems fitting that it will be read by a family of Forrests, don't you think? :-)
And now, I must (at the risk of exposing you to a bad pun) take my leave of you.
FF
Gone to compost every one. Wasn't that a lovely song? I haven't heard it in years - It was on my Grade five song sheet - but I can't say I remember that particular verse. Nice to see you over at Plumbline. Those guys have a lot of interesting things to say about poetry if they manage to get off their behinds and write something.
Hi Dave,
This seems simple and complicated at the same time (I note your reply to Weaver). Genetic modification of crops certainly comes to mind and none of us can know where that might lead. It is time we acknowledged Nature's supremacy.
Fantastic Forrest
Dinna worry about bad puns... just dinna! (One turn deserves another, don't you think?) Yes, I see your point, and yes, very appropriate that it will be read by a family of forrests. I like the idea very much. Many thanks.
Mairi
I thought it was a terrific song, yes. I did hear it a little while back, but only that once in ages.
And yes, I did enjoy my trip over to Plumbline. Thanks again for the steer.
Derrick
Mmm... all things are possible - that's the trouble, no?
Very fine stuff, Dave. I love the archaic chant of it - a sort of pagan doxology!
Dick
Mmmm, thanks for that... you're correct of course, I can hear that in it, but it hadn't occurred before. My High Church childhood coming out, obviously!
i like this one, Dave. It was simple enough for me to understand. :) Great work.
Our Treasure Hunt begins on Monday. I hope you will be able to participate. Check out my blog for information. Thanks.
Readingsully2
Thanks for that. Will check it out, but time is pressing a bit just now. (When is it not?)
Great poem Dave, I enjoyed reading it :)
Marinela
Welcome to my blog, my apologies for not replying sooner. Hope you will come again.
It was certainly interesting for me to read that blog. Thanx for it. I like such themes and anything that is connected to this matter. I definitely want to read a bit more soon.
and when "the trees bring forth their true and ample fruit", i danced to celebrate past yearnings the songs of old ruins of love... thanks for an educative blog... i have this yearning never to stop learning. w.w.
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