Photography © Jennifer Matthews
Instead
Where’s the obituary for the oak
tangled in power lines, that fell like Celtic
words gnarled up on the tongues of thirsty Romans?
Quercus, Quercus!—such an ugly appellative
from “beautiful tree,” but where’s the eulogy
for centuries of sentry duty stood
against the heat lightning of history?
Yesterday downed an oak. Her branches shook
lights loose. Clocks stopped, but silence never came—
no rest, no grief, just work relentlessly
sped along the asphalt’s gossip and blame.
Do for me what we’ve done for every tree,
what’s been done for the fallen: Let me go.
Write an obituary for an oak.
Joshua Eric Williams is from Carrollton, GA. His poetry has appeared or is forthcoming in Atticus Review, Literary Matters, Modern Haiku, Rattle, The Heron’s Nest, and many other print and online journals. His poem “silent after” was selected for a 2022 Touchstone Award from The Haiku Foundation and nominated for a 2022 Pushcart Prize from Rattle Magazine. Check out his website or follow him on Twitter (@Hungerfield).
Poet/Photographer Jennifer Matthews’ poetry has been published in Nepal by Pen Himalaya and locally by the Wilderness Retreat Writers Organization, Midway Journal, The Somerville Times, Ibbetson Street Press and Boston Girl Guide. Jennifer was nominated for a poetry award by the Cambridge Arts Council for her book of poetry Fairy Tales and Misdemeanors. Her songs have been released nationally and internationally and her photography has been used as covers for a number of Ibbetson Street Press poetry books and has been exhibited at The Middle East Restaurant, 1369 Coffeehouses, Sound Bites Restaurant in Somerville and McLean Hospital.