Firs
silent
with snowfall
though dark as Dis
beneath burdened boughs.
The hushed huddle communes
tapping 'MayDays' underground
of dreaded render root from trunk;
twelve Yule log fires proclaiming solstice
unhallowed trim for Christmas merriment
silent
the Firs

40 thoughts on “Axemas”

1. Beautiful fir trees – filled with silence, proclaiming solstice. My favorite line is the 9th line. This is such a delightful form, thank you.

   1. thank you Grace – a stand of fir trees always look to be in conversation and only quite recently I read that trees do communicate via fungi on their roots

2. I love the sentience you give the fir family members, Laura.

   1. thank you Lisa – they live indeed when we let them!

      1. You’re welcome.

3. p.s. I just noticed your title, which is well-chosen.

   1. 😉

4. I love “beneath burdened burrows!”

   1. thank you I was pleased with the way that came out visually plus its alliteration

5. .nice one

   Much❤️💚love

   1. ❤

6. Your etheree poem presents much food for thought, Laura! Makes one feel a bit sorry for the trees. Axemas – an appropriate title indeed!

   1. yes its another kind of slaughter

7. Your tree-poem is thought provoking … thank you for a unique challenge.

   1. thank you Helen for thinking!

8. Dark and beautiful, Laura. While reading your verse, I remembered an article I read online which had an attached video with the sounds of trees “talking”. It was haunting and profound and quite thought-provoking. Thanks for a beautiful etheree, Laura.

   1. thank you Nancy for such thoughtful feedback – you might like “The Hidden Life of Trees” by Peter Wohlleben

      1. Thank you, Laura; I’ll check it out.

9. Love this vein of dark; especially:

   “The hushed huddle communes

   tapping Maydays underground”

   1. thank you John for your appreciation of the dark

10. The culling of real Christmas trees, whilst lovely as a tradition is sadly wasteful too – well put Laura…

    1. cull is word that resonates with so many traditions

11. Great perspective. Firs at Christmas can relate to turkeys at Thanksgiving; costly traditions.

    1. exactly!

12. Beautifully done and so very sad that their family is cut at the roots.

    1. Thank you – and hence I have a live potted tree

       1. I was considering going that route!! I dunno if they have them in my area 🙂

13. Your poem is beautiful, Laura.

    1. thank you ❤

14. How sombre is that … the Abies trees sending out their radical MayDay through the Earth’s pathways. Perhaps some seedlings will be spared …

    What (fun and profundity) we have had with this theme! Thanks for teaching me to etheree…

    1. thank you for your appreciation of both poem and prompt

15. What a title and the alliteration too good! I find syllabic writing very confining but you made it flow even if your Etheree was sombre. Beautifully written, Laura.

    1. I agree about the restrictions and it is not easy to get a flowing meter with ever changing syllables so thank you for your feedback of poem and title!

       1. You are very welcome.

16. Thanks for your prompt, Laura. Your poem made me feel a real sense of solidarity with the trees. I have had the same plastic Christmas tree for forty years motivated by exactly the thoughts you express so movingly. I was too slow to post my response to your prompt, but if you would like to read it it is here: https://maxjoyart.wordpress.com/2024/12/11/o-christmas-tree/

    1. hi Max – thanks for the belated etheree – glad it inspired and you can link up instead on Thursday (tomorrow) as its open link night 3pm EST

17. A thought-provoking, beautifully written poem, Laura.

    1. thank you – I pine fore the pines at this time of year!

18. Beautifully wrought, Laura, this somber reflection. ❤ Still I hope your Christmas is filled with the blessings of the season.

    1. Many thanks Dora – and may you and I both be blessed by the reason for the season

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