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Trees continue as the poets' muse.
In Response to Mary Oliver’s Humpbacks
I know of several lives worth living,
But my favorite is that
Of the sturdy copper beech,
Which demands a huge garden,
Full sun and well-drained soil.
Towering roles demand room to grow!
Steadily she climbs up and up
Near one hundred feet.
I shade my eyes and tip my head;
Admire the beech’s aerial work.
Children are shaded in their play.
After spring, the deep purple leaves
Give way to penny-brown
And then the copper hue
Of a fountain of autumn foliage.
Humble, the copper beech accepts
The rays of the sun. Accepts
The baptism of rain. Accepts
The buffets of wind. Accepts
The will of the gardener. Accepts
The blade of the axe.
It is as if a bit of dream
Got caught in the spokes of reality.
But dreams don’t usually live
Such splendid lives
As copper beeches—
I would like to be a copper beech,
Lift my limbs to God.
Steady my head upright
Among the clouds
Be crowned with bird’s nests
And draped in the divinity of grape vines.
~ By Marilyn LT Klimcho
Marilyn LT Klimcho is an award winning author of poetry and short stories. She produces and hosts Poets' Pause and Pub Date with an Author. Both shows are interviews with writers, and are available on the many platforms that Berks Community Television utilizes, including YouTube.
Marilyn Klimcho reads her poem as part of Berks Bards Bard Fest 2026: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8FIxWV4zAkA
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