The Sister Tree

you pulled me most of the way home
by the ear when I would not stay in line
you were a safety patrol leader and had
an arm band like the nazis wore

and once you shut my fingers in the door
when I would not let you close it

but you played beethoven on the piano
and you were beautiful and had
more friends than I ever did

and somewhere in the middle of your
five children came coffees when we
told each other secrets like children
and laughed about sibling things

when you died, we planted a tree in the yard
and we watched it grow years without you

and this winter the new owner trimmed it
with strings of white christmas lights
and as I drove by in the bark black night
I tugged on my ear and wept

Reviews

[Tree]

A deeply affecting piece. The silent power of memory and how it occasionally tugs at a man's heart, is something that I seem to chase after in my own work. I felt the poet here gave the reader just the right amount of subtle information, that gave this poem its evocative power. This poem touched me.

[Verser]

Thank you, Diego. I am glad it raised a bit of emotion for you. You can see me read the poem on VerseWrights in the "PoetryAloud" area, if you are interested.

Many thanks.

[Tree]

Carl, stopped by today to give The Sister Tree another read. It had the same effect on me, as when I first read it. One of my favorites.

[Tree]

Reading through your work again Carl, I always stop by the Sister Tree. It has become a ritual. One of my favorite poems here, and every time it moves me.

Thank you, again.

JD

[J. J. Nightingale]

Ink mixed with tears , always makes a better write
I never knew I had a sister or a brother, till 2007 ..
We have nothing to remember of those childhood years
But we are making memories now .. and loving all the way ..

This touches the heart of me .. and I am glad I came to read ..

I hear your heart ... Jazz

[Verser]

Thanks so much for this. I guess whenever one writes deeply about "sibling life" it touches a chord with most of us. I joy in your good fortune, and I appreciate the read.

[J. J. Nightingale]

:)........

[rootsandwingsmemoirs.co..]

Ah, I'm sorry for your loss. I have five wonderful sisters and six sweet brothers. I understand every line you write and cannot imagine losing them. This is wonderfully wrote.

[Verser]

Than you for your comment, and it is nice to be friends with you.--verser

[Kenilo Kent]

My condolences! "...lovely and deep,
but I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep." -Frost

[mikl paul]

this is eloquent.

[Verser]

Thanks, Mikl. "Eloquence" is a relative term, and I think a poet struggles for that word to apply for as many readers as possible.

[Relic]

This is such a sad poem but so well told. Whether sister, brother, mother or father, each have an anchor to our soul that is unmovable. Through retrospective eyes and heart, you touch the emotions of the reader with this one. Great writing.

[Verser]

You are so nice to say these things, and it is appreciated. And you are right, the relationship doesn't matter, but we just have to plumb the meaning of that anchor within the soul.

[emmajoy]

Need to keep calm whilst reviewing this, remember its the words that count. that standing in your shoes isn't what matters. Or does it?. Yes! Memories of sibling fun and rivalry, of sadness and smiles, of loss - all written so smoothly, sincerely. Beautiful phrasing, sad though, ' .. and as i drove by in the bark black night .. I tugged on my ear and wept'

[Verser]

Thanks, Emma. Yes it is sad. I remember being a bit tearful when I worked on it. I really appreciate your words. It gives me encouragement.

[LA Lorena]

I love this Verser. It pulls at all the emotions, from the raw jealousy of children to the closeness of adulthood and then the bitter pain and sorrow of departure, things forgotten and remembered.

[Verser]

Yep. I wanted to do all of those things. A lot for a little poem, but I feel like my life has has been lived in a blink, and it makes this poem, for me, the truth of it.

[SkinlessFrank]

I've been watching as my own children pull back together in the early years of their own adulthood. There are few things in life that touch us in this way.

[Verser]

I think you wrote about that idea in in one of your poems, if I am not mistaken. I guess they do what we did--a part of life Thanks for the reading and the comment.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

the end made me think of a really sad Carol Burnett losing a best friend.

interesting how we can get so close to people, even if they treat us mean...guess we know that they really love us in some weird way.

[Verser]

The meanness went away as we grew, of course, but it was always there in the background. Sibling rivalry is normal and we all carry those battle scars. Thanks, jacob.

[@]

What a lovely, lovely piece...
Extremely tender. Well crafted, with thoughtful cadence and timing.

You tugged on your ear and it pulled my heartstrings.

[Verser]

that's exactly what I was trying to do. It worked! At least for one reader. Much appreciated, Delaney.