Sunday, June 2, 2019

657

[Today is a prose Sunday, no poetry. 'Chagrin' is written for Poets United where Magaly is prompting asking for prose.]

CHAGRIN
I hugged a tree once, its bark was so soft and velvety. It was a Paperbark Tree, at the Wild Fowl Trust in Point Fortin. There were trees, fruit trees in the yard, in Chaguanas, when i was a child. I loved those trees. I never climbed any of them, because girls were forbidden to climb trees, back then.

When i came to live in the city, trees took on a new spectacular appearance. There were entire trees covered in colour. "Easter time is absolutely the best time of the year" - I strongly believe, that is what the Poui trees think, as they break out in blossoming bunches. On some trees flowers are yellow, almost golden. On some trees flowers are pink.

To look at them then, there is no desire of contemplating The Tree or The Wood of Crucifixion. But rather, desire is to contemplation on the theme of new life, through mercy, forgiveness and redemption. Love from our Poui trees now colour days yellow and pink.

The genus Tabebuia covers these splendid trees. They remain green for the most part of the year. They are quiet somber trees, tall and comely, standing in peripheral spots around The Queen Park Savannah in Port of Spain. When wearing their green leaves, they blend in with other trees, to the extent, that one might even speculate to the Poui's chagrin a tree is a tree.

Well anyway those tree watchers who take trees for granted will. Those who neglect the shape of a tree trunk, the branching of twigs. They will class them just trees. Punishing them for wearing only green leaves.

The Poui is one of the largest and strongest of tropical forest trees, growing up to 150 feet tall while the base can be 4 to 7 feet in diameter. All the leaves are shed early in the dry season, usually in January and February and new leaves do not appear for three to four months. The wood provides a wide range of uses as it is a source of timber for people of the Caribbean. It is resistant to salt water, termites, and other insects making it a viable option in boat making, decking and other wood related projects. Poui tree wood is actually used on Coney Island for the boardwalks as it is very durable.

I never hugged a Poui tree. Have you ever hugged a tree? Hugging a tree increases levels of hormone oxytocin This hormone is responsible for feeling calm and emotional bonding. why not try tree hugging.

CHAGRIN - A SHORT ARTICLE ON TREES © gillena cox 2019


Blog hopping today with

Telling Tales with Magaly Guerrero: a Pantry of Prose, #4 ~ From the Point of View of Trees

ENJOY THE MUSIC

22 comments:

  1. Gillena, I love this. People take trees for granted, chop them down without compunction, forgetting that we need them to BREATHE. It drives me crazy!

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  2. Thanks for dropping by Sherry

    Much🌲🖤🌴🖤🌳love

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  3. “I never climbed any of them, because girls were forbidden to climb trees, back then.” I really like that “back then”. I love what it tells me about the worlds

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    1. Also, three hugging totally rocks!

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    2. Thanks for dropping by Magaly

      Much🌲🖤🌴🖤🌳love

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  4. I feel this young woman's discovery of the Poui tree and its themes of new life and redemption. I hug trees quite frequently when alone with them. I'm not sure I could do it on a crowded street.

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    1. Thanks for dropping by Susan

      Much🖤🌴🌲🌳🖤love

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  5. As a young girl I was always fascinated with trees. My grandmother had trees in her yard and yes, I did have a favorite I would climb. It had a strong limb and I would hang upside down, pretending to be a branch. I don't think the tree minded as I always sang to him. I once was told to hug a tree when I needed to feel grounded, I still do it today. There is comfort in hugging a tree.

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  6. Thanks for dropping by Trudessa

    Much🖤🌲🌴🌳🖤love

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  7. An edifying and charmingly rendered piece of writing … a pleasure to read.

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    1. Happy you dropped by Wendy

      Much🖤🌲🌴🌳🖤love

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  8. From age of 5 to my early teens my brother and I spent most of our free time climbing trees and building treehouses often in woods or copses near us. We knew all the wild flowers much like most kids then before TV, mobile phones and strict rules and restrictions. Girls I knew stayed at home and played with dolls! Mind you that was in the 1940's! What a great write Gillena.

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    1. Thanks for your appreciation Robin

      Much🖤🌲🌴🖤🌳love

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  9. Fascinating to learn of this magnificent and useful tree!

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    1. Thanks for your appreciation Rosemary

      Much🖤🌳🖤🌴🖤🌲love

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  10. "why not try tree hugging." A good point, Gillena. Trees enjoy tree-lovers.

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    1. Thanks for your appreciation Sumana

      Much🖤🌳🖤🌴🖤🌲love

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  11. Trees do play many roles, and you have put a spiritual one well here “...desire is to contemplation on the theme of new life, through mercy, forgiveness and redemption.”

    I also enjoy how your story reveals a bit about this particular society, where girls didn’t or were not allowed to climb trees.

    And as for tree hugging, I enjoy this from time to time. :-) Brilliant story, Gillena.

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  12. Thanks for your appreciation Khaya

    Much🖤🌳🖤🌴🖤🌲love

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  13. Thank you for sharing this! I've never seen this kind of tree before, but the image you paint makes an indelible impression.

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  14. So many trees I didn't know... but I think I will go out and hug our oak

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  15. I grew up surrounded by trees. I often hugged them, lay my cheek against the bark, absorbing their care, their energy. I was blessed to have a father who honored trees by carefully pruning them, and a mother who talked to me about shade, bird, and beauty in limbs.

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