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Whitebark Map

nature poetry

By Andrea Corwin Published 2 years ago 1 min read
(c) Andrea O. Corwin

whitebark etched with black cracks

a map of your life

with the days burst upon your bark

ponds and lakes of inky splotches

streams and rivers rend your radius

a broken terrain that ants and beetles traverse

jagged boundaries of almost squares

almost triangles, almost rectangles

a meandering map of seasons in your life

you nurse lichen on your bosom that

sometimes hides insects or is nestled in nests

green and gray, fuzzy, crumbly, and smooth

charred crinkles, coral-like fingers, fuzzy moss and

slinky seaweed shapes, but

not in, or of, the sea or rainforest

in the open, sunlight glinting

wind testing your strength while

the lichen grips tightly to your bark

claiming its territory in the fresh air

You are a kind and measured Host

Copyright © 6/27/2024 by Andrea O. Corwin

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About the Creator

Andrea Corwin

🐘Wildlife 🌳 Environment 🥋3rd° See nature through my eyes

Poetry, fiction, horror, life experiences, and author photos. Written without A.I. © Andrea O. Corwin

bigcats4ever.bsky.social

Instagram @andicorwin

Reader insights

Outstanding

Excellent work. Looking forward to reading more!

Top insights

  1. Compelling and original writing

    Creative use of language & vocab

  2. Eye opening

    Niche topic & fresh perspectives

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Comments (13)

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  • Dawnxisoul393artabout a year ago

    Your keen observations of lichen, insects, and various textures evoke a sense of wonder and appreciation for the interconnectedness of life, thank you for sharing this poetic tribute to the natural world!

  • Patrick M. Ohana2 years ago

    I love trees and you described one beautifully : )

  • TheSpinstress 2 years ago

    Wow! You really captured the beauty of this tree. I loved: "ponds and lakes of inky splotches streams and rivers rend your radius"

  • Gorgeous!🤩 I used to think that unless trees had flowers, they were boring! Now I appreciate their interesting bark etc… this poem captures that!✅

  • So many elegant lines but the bit about almost squares, almost rectangles… really stole my attention. Incredibly well done

  • Babs Iverson2 years ago

    Love your nature poem!!! Fabulous visuals too!!!💕❤️❤️

  • D.K. Shepard2 years ago

    Echoing Hannah, “ jagged boundaries of almost squares almost triangles, almost rectangles” was such a striking set of phrases amongst many other great lines of imagery!

  • Hannah Moore2 years ago

    Love the almost shapes, that really tethered it to the tree for me.

  • Katie Erdman2 years ago

    Beautiful

  • Awww, this was such a wonderful tribute! Loved your poem!

  • John Cox2 years ago

    Trees are so awesome! Loved this Andrea!

  • shanmuga priya2 years ago

    The beautiful comparison of tree's physical features created powerful visuals in mind....I enjoyed reading it.

  • C. D. Guzman2 years ago

    This was a great read.

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