Prelude to a Pine Cone's Epitaph

A reflection on the cycles of life...

Disposed upon the frosty detritus
a dry husk of reproductive potential spent 
lost within the litterfall,
each open scale a testament 
a prickly, sap tinged reminder 
my decomposition will nurture the future.

I feel much the same today 
as when I was firmly fixed to purpose,
swaying in the waving fronds of family and friends 
sweet scented, I endured with supple flexibility 
spending the seeds of my talent 
a gifted wealth, unreserved.

I am now empty… 

tossed to a deathbed of chromatic revelation 
unmasked brilliance decorates my bedchamber 
humbled, I wait to be collected

or slowly rot... 

useful still, if for nothing more than decoration, 

a centerpiece dressing the table of thanksgiving. 

Reviews

[willweb]

Hey what's your name, pass the dressing. The sadness of this poem today is heavy and makes me want to wipe the fog from these windows and look inside to find that which is missing most, a caring for those forgotten in plain sight. I really enjoyed this today

[David Scott]

I like your review will. We all need to clear the fog from time to time.

[Relic]

Excellent use of personification. You write with a depth that is rare on WC. There are too many lines I would call my favorite within the poem but: Tossed to a deathbed of chromatic revelation stood out for me more than the others. Great writing and clever use of words.

[David Scott]

Thank you for the review Relic. I am honored you stopped in to read.
Yes, I was visualizing a the forest floor with colorful fall leaves... then also, our lives and all the colorful memories of our past surrounding us in the minds of those who will remember us when we fall to our final resting place.

[Relic]

You're a deep thinker. :)

[The Rock And Roll Cowbo..]

Yes this is metaphorically clever… life sure does have its ups and downs, that is why we need to go with the flow or drown in the current.

[David Scott]

Ha. Thank you for your metaphor Dale. I tend to swim against the current for sure... My mouth is always spitting out the errors of my trials...
Thank you for stopping by.

[The Rock And Roll Cowboy(REBEL WITH A CAUSE)]

You are very welcome sir.

[Lydia Shutter]

David, finding a poem from you is such a treat! Thoughts from an elderly person who is now ignored by the younger generation? A person who was the center of the family once and was admired by many. How sad that as we age, our worth in society wanes. The spirit never dies though....even if it is hidden behind eyes that no longer sparkle. There is a lot of compassion in this write. Your words are artfully written. Lydi**

[David Scott]

Thank you Lydi. I love and respect the elderly. I believe our culture has lost much with our tendency to disregard the wisdom we could glean from those with actual experience. I did indeed place myself in the mind of a person decades older than I am to write this poetry.

[MsJewel]

Your use of metaphor is brilliant David....added to your wonderful phrasing, you have penned one of the best poems I've read in a long time.

We can only wonder what will be remembered and appreciated once we are gone...The last two lines spoke to me...
Your eyes will capture my spirit's defiance,
Sprouting beyond the passing of this shell.
The perfect ending to a fabulous poem. I'm in awe of your talent.

:) Julie

[David Scott]

Thank you Julie. Just trying to open up a little and release... ;)

[MomzillaNC]

Finding meaning when we've spent all our will, all our talent in the pursuit of what? We come to the end and wonder what was the point? What did we really attain? What value have we made of our lives? We can only look and hope someone -- our loved ones, our friends, our children -- will value what we have been.

[David Scott]

I like your perspective momzie... ;)
Thank you for reading.

[MomzillaNC]

You're welcome.

[icelandicblue]

This whispers of death as it stalks its victims. When does living become little more than signs of life and to what purpose. But within your words are the defiance not to leave this mortal coil willingly and those lines are truly the jewel of the poem:

Your eyes will capture my spirit's defiance,
Sprouting beyond the passing of this shell.

They reminded me of Dylan Thomas.

[David Scott]

Hey Blue. :)
Yes, death is a part of the circle of our mortality. Still, life is the purpose. Life is more inevitable than death... In my humble opinion.

[emmajoy]

Those six final lines could well be the first bars of a magnificent aria -they're gloriously emotional!

In spite of a somewhat grey topic, you're voicing the ifs and buts of pen and imagination gently laid to rest - with i think, a smile of satisfaction and- only a nip of sadness. But grand it is that so many people have wrapped your words in their memories and others keep them safe in ribboned treasure boxes.

Your phrasing is a joy, words placed just so but never stilted. Don't doubt '.. eyes will capture my spirit's defiance.. Sprouting beyond the passing of this shell.'

[David Scott]

You bring me blessings with your comments Emma. Thank you sincerely.

[Corset]

One of my favorites by you David, this was simply wonderful!

[David Scott]

Thank you for reading Corset. I'm never really sure, but I write what inspires my imagination.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

in the end we are just a shell of ourselves...and i relate to this...i will someday feel i am written out....and it is what i will leavve behind...
and i wonder if my decomposition will nurture anyone else...or help a garden grow a flower, or help a mind dig outside the box.

we can only hope in some way that our existence could matter....i like the family and friends part...most of mine don't understand me at all....and are puzzled at this poetry stuff...where did it come from they ask?
and i am as puzzled.

[David Scott]

Thank you Jacob. I was looking at a picture of a pine cone this week and I started thinking about some of my older patients as they might relate to this topic... It is something we all must face.