The Chair

                                               The Chair

found homeless and wasting

riddled with the bugs

bugs of time and want and damp green

moss

found bundled in crumbling outer skins

water drifted with

 

heart red    -   and real   -   and

cedar scent         -         

belligerent 

kicking like asses 

in refusal.

brittle arms gone    -   or broken      -

push gnarly, knotted lumping pain 

long ago ... 

a stump ... of stubborn clinging

it

lays on it's side defiant to all the winds ............

winds of north and winds of south relentlessly 

pursuing the smoothing ... glossing picture of wild abandon

i took them in

i took them all and put them

put them big and small into my own fitting designs

hacking and sawing with gnats and hog wallows grabbing attentions

pulling, hauling, trudging up to the reckoning 

i began

with wire brush then

 on a spindle whirling and whirling dust of 

maybe a hundred years ... who can tell ... i was busy ... i didn't care

it was the heart and intent of that tree i wanted

searched for   -    and 

found ..................... it

formed ........................it 

bathed ..................... it 

fit it,  

glued it and screwed it .....

formed now 

to each other

E

10/30/2019

Author's Note

The picture is of my first attempt at building a chair. It is made from dead fall cedar that I harvested from out back and down the holler....an adventure all in itself ;)

Reviews

[Yana Larson]

This poem is a raw, visceral exploration of transformation and reclaiming something that has been neglected or forgotten. The imagery is earthy and gritty, with lines like *“riddled with the bugs / bugs of time and want and damp green moss”* evoking decay and the passage of time. The speaker seems to take something broken and abandoned—a fallen tree, perhaps—and breathes new life into it, shaping it with determination and care. The action of restoration, *“hacking and sawing with gnats and hog wallows,”* contrasts with the beauty of what is being formed: the *“heart and intent of that tree.”*

The poem’s tone and style call to mind the works of poets like Ted Hughes and Sylvia Plath, who often explore nature’s raw power, decay, and the process of reinvention. The fragmented structure and use of disjointed imagery lend a sense of urgency and physicality to the act of reconstruction, making the final transformation all the more powerful. Overall, the poem’s intensity, paired with its focus on restoration and renewal, makes it a compelling meditation on resilience and the beauty found in rebirth.

[Einstein Noodle]

wow ... Yana ... i am so glad to meet you .. your analysis is deeply revealing of yourself, me thinks .. can't tell you the depth of my gratitude for the depth your review expresses .. both sensitive and thoughtful .. i will be visiting your street soon as i think your life must be one of river rapids swum and mountain craigs overcome ... blessing to you from me ol' heart .. i have not been a whole lot motivated and am busy now with making a move from my blissful woods and cabin for the big sky and open prairies to the north :) love and peace
E.

[Yana Larson]

I'm glad my review lifted your spirits. I hope it inspires you to write more. Yeah, come visit me on my page. Welcome :))) have a wonderful day and thank you!

[Einstein Noodle]

:) .........................

[Eilis]

In her book, “Mind of the Maker“, Dorothy L Sayers connects the human mind to the mind of God through the act of (creativity) creation. I’m simplifying her idea, but essentially she believes that is our ultimate connection, our way of understanding.

Your poem and its origin made me think of that this morning. I think it’s extraordinary what we can do when our imaginations are engaged. A tree that could have remained bug fodder for years becomes an heirloom by the work of your hands.

It’s beautiful work, by the way. Clearly not your initiation into woodworking! All of the first things I have attempted have been crooked and mostly useless, but I keep trying. There’s a perfect chair in my imagination that I will realize someday, ha.

I like where this poem’s idea takes me. With vision and determination we can shape something wonderful out of something found. It’s an excellent way of approaching the world.

Really enjoyed this, E.

[Einstein Noodle]

keep on tryin' says i, Ellis .. you certainly have the idea that will carry it through .. the connection ;) funny thing is that it doesn't require acquired skills, thought i did carpentry for 15 yrs as a career, it isn't necessary ... you might check out my other poem connected with me wonderdog Bella and some sticks we found .. i mention it in my own review above but this is the link if you would like to check it ... some patience and dash of skills needed ... but mostly imagination ;) the book you mention sounds like a must read for me ... me thinks thee and me are simpatico my friend! thank you for your words and reading
E.

[Eilis]

I’ve a bit of a clumsy streak that carries through to everything, but I am determined, ha ha. I’ll keep working at it, definitely. And I’ll check out your other poem too.

You’re welcome, as always, E.

[Patricia Wedel]

dear E... I adore the scent of Cedar and your Chair holds
ancient secrets that have a place in our heart. It is a symbol of
Geriatrics as we age. Our body has lovely gnarls but like Cedar...
we have extraordinary strength that comes from living a full life.
When someone takes the time to apply the resin to our soul.
We have a purpose to bring comfort to broken hearts that mourn.
truly, Pat

[Einstein Noodle]

you have a big heart Pat .. and it shines in your review .. thank you so much! when i start to feel sorry for me self with all the creaks and squeaks of me joints ... i am going to remind myself with your impressions ... a great strength that comes with the gnarly of living ;))))))))))) peace on you sister .. really glad you stopped to read .. as always

[AYVID N]

I took in the picture of the stunning chair and thought of the amazing almost mystical life of that old Cedar tree. Of the hundreds of myriad seasons it must have lived through, the bugs and beetles and battles it must have persevered through before it fell to the earth, that valiant and good tree. And in death it was useful too, preserved forever as that amazingly crafted chair. You brought it all to life, the tree, its persona and the magic of life itself...

Crafted beautifully...the chair and the poetry. Kudos from your twentieth but equally delighted and impressed reviewer!

[Einstein Noodle]

oh my...how you have made me day .. thank you thank you thank you :) that "valiant and good tree" ..well said .. your sensitivity and respect is commanding dear one! your review reminds me of those old Celtic Priests .. the Druids .. who influenced human lives with connection to all things .. but with a focus on their mystical trees .. love your review Divya!! thank you!
E.

[AYVID N]

Enjoy that awesome, lovely chair E... :)
You are welcome and wished all good things.

[Linda Marie Van Tassell]

I think we are the vessels through which other things are born. That chair needed your vision to give it life, and life you gave. I feel this way about poetry as well. So many times I write but feel someone else is guiding my hand. This is beautiful.

[Einstein Noodle]

its true Linda ... the muse strikes and we roll with it eh!? ;) your words remind me of an interview Bob Dillon did with Dick Cabot, I believe it was .. and when asked the meaning behind "Along the Watchtower" Dillon replied ... i don't know :)))))))))))))))))) love on ya Ms Linda Marie! ...
E.

[wordman]

and you gave it new life,while you enriched your own

[Einstein Noodle]

spot on wordman!! spot on ... my blessing was ten fold throughout the whole thing ;) like being honored to care for ones precious pet ... thanks for taking time always, friend :)
E

[wordman]

you`re welcome

[Stella Armour]

You will thing it strange my friend, but these last few colder days i have been giving a stranger on the street some food and a kind word .... just my little way of helping.
Your chairs are strangers like him too, just a little love and nourishment is all that is needed to make them whole again.

[Einstein Noodle]

yes ... many times that is true .. love your heart in your review my friend ... we should all carry it daily with us :)

[R.E. Ray]

E., perhaps because I'm a woodworker, I found a special meaning in this work (image and poem). You've crafted here what is not only love of nature, especially fallen trees, but the love in taking something broken, abandoned, left for dead, and making it a centerpiece in our world. I think we have God-gifted humans who do the same with others. I think of the social service workers, mental health professionals and others who see value and redeeming qualities even in the most broken and beaten. An extraordinary, handcrafted masterpiece.

[Einstein Noodle]

yes yes yes ... spot on insights my caring friend!! several others here are also woodworkers .. what a treat to know that about each other eh!? thank you so much for seeing a bit beyond the physical in this poem ... and applying its social implications ... the broken sprang to mind as i wrote .. top o' the mahrnin' to ya brother!!
E.

[Dave Brown]

As a woodworker myself I well appreciate all the labor involved and admire both the poem and the beautifully finished result'
BTW my grandson is following along the woodworking trail
Nicely done

[Einstein Noodle]

good on your Grandson!! that has to be gratifying ... you will have lots to offer him eh!? ... strengthening an important relationship .. as a wood worker you may find this interesting .. or perhaps you already are aware of a product .. a resin that penetrates deeply into wood and seeks the rotted wood on a cellular level .. then changes it to beyond its original strength ... i used it on this chair and it also darkened it and brought the red out ... all i did after that was to apply the clear finish .. no staining needed ;) thanks for stopping by Dave! much appreciated .. nice to get to know you a bit more :)
E.

[Dave Brown]

Hello again
Was there a product label you can pass on

[Einstein Noodle]

yes...its Smiths Clear Penetrating Resin .. try this link
http://www.smithandcompany.org/CPES/
its expensive but really works .. originally designed to repair rotted wood on boats ... i love it ... the price is well worth it when time is invested in the project .. :))

[Dave Brown]

Mucho Gratis.................

[Relic]

Some people see things others don't or wouldn't even consider. You have talent at creating not only poems but new life for what would be considered by many to be lost.

Nice job in both categories.

[Einstein Noodle]

thanks Relic ... i feel pretty humbled actually .. your review is a blessing ... glad you found value in the words and story ... peace and joy!
E.

[gram linski]

what a beautiful piece of carpentry and poetry, the lines fit together mm perfect flush, what a finely crafted chair,

[Einstein Noodle]

thanks man! it was an adventure ... tho i do have a distant carpentry background this was my first attempt at such a project ..retired and with my own time table it was a joy through the whole process ... no stress ;) i appreciate you my friend .. thanks for reviewing ...
E.

[gram linski]

when I was a child there was an old man who lived next door with a tiny workshop in his shed, just quietly woodworking away, and after school I would sit in the sawdust and watch the man work

[Einstein Noodle]

what a fine scene and characters... great memories gram! ..just made for the pen says i! ... did he teach you anything??