Poetry & Prose by Carol J Forrester
The Spring was wet,
enough that the trees still look alive above the yellow grass,
their roots searching out hidden wells to keep from losing too many leaves.
In their shade the heat has baked the ground into a bad ceramic,
the glaze already chipped and cracked in this overheated kiln.
Camouflaged by brittle stalks the sacrifices go unnoticed,
dust to dust, ashes to ashes, the trees can only stand so long.
Carol J Forrester is a writer and a history geek. Her debut collection 'It's All In The Blood' came out November 2019. She has a 2:1 BA degree in history from Bath Spa University, enjoys judo at least twice a week, and tries to attend poetry events around the Midlands when she can. Her flash fiction story ‘Glorious Silence’ was named as River Ram Press’ short story of the month for August 2014 and her short story ‘A Visit From The Fortune Teller’ has been showcased on the literary site Ink Pantry. Her poems ‘Sunsets’ and ‘Clear Out‘ were featured on Eyes Plus Words, and two of her poems were included in the DVerse Poets Pub Publication ‘Chiaroscuro’ which is available for purchase on amazon.Her poem ‘Until The Light Gets In‘ was accepted and published at The Drabble and her poem ‘Newborn’ was published by Ink Sweat & Tears. She has been lucky enough to write guest posts for sites such as Inky Tavern and Song of The Forlorn and has hosted a number of guest bloggers on her site Writing and Works. View all posts by Carol J Forrester
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These lines
“In their shade the heat has baked the ground into a bad ceramic,
the glaze already chipped and cracked in this overheated kiln.” describe so well the effects on the earth of a drought. The image of the bad cracking ceramic in an overheated kiln is perfect!
And just a quick question….not sure it you mean to say “trees” or “tress” in that last line….I am reminded of the leafy branches of the trees almost as the earth’s tresses. I like it either way.
Exactly how I felt. It is a perfect analogy. Such a deep and dark image of reality.
Thank you Jay, I’m glad you liked the piece.
Nice line: “Camouflaged by brittle stalks the sacrifices go unnoticed” It emphasizes the struggle through the arid conditions.
Again, Lillian was here first to grab my favorite line & image. There is a freshness in your work that is very appealing, effortlessly poetic. One thing for sure–there’s no drought out here on the trail.
Roots Withstanding
So Much Pain
Buried
From all to
See Never the
More Roots Do Sing
Numb in Dance Go Lost
Trees
Fall DowN
Water ComeS AGAiN..:)
Fit reverie for a tombstone…
Strong picture of times of drought. Very nice imaging
Luckily we have some Rain these days but i know of that kind of drought. Luv the “bad ceramic” image
much love…
Thank you very much.
I felt so thirsty after this! Vivid descriptions 🙂
A scary thought as the summers get hotter and the vegetation struggles to hang on.
Excellent imagery – really capturing the heat and discomfort.
What a way to start this poem, with a short statement that sets the scene and then describes trees in such glorious detail. I especially enjoyed:
‘In their shade the heat has baked the ground into a bad ceramic,
the glaze already chipped and cracked in this overheated kiln’.
I felt you were describing a piece of Georgia O’keefe’s art.😊
Oh, the sacrifice is so well denoted in your verse. We see the green and feel the heat but it is on the ground and within where the struggle for survival goes on. I have seen those cracks
and believed in them. It’s from “dust to dust and ashes to ashes” that a life reaches its end.
-HA
Wow! Really captures the rain and then the heatwave. The brittleness and use of ceramic really seems to show how hard and dried out the earth is but you describe the trees and their roots so well, searching out deep below for water.
Thank you. I had a lot of fun picking the imagery for this piece so I’m really glad that it’s gone down so well.
Sacrifice often does go unnoticed, when it does get noticed it is suspected of being mere theatre. I have a soft spot for trees. They need good Forresters.
Is that supposed to be a pun on my name?
Errrmmm… maybe 😏
You capture that desperate feeling of the vegetation in a drought- love the use of the word sacrifice and the image of the chipping earth.
Thank you very much. I was trying to capture that overwhelming heat that seems to have consumed the country at the moment.