Mighty Ancient Oak

Cherry

By skinner_jennifer

Sat, 12 Apr 2025
  • 473 reads
23 comments
 

Richly bound ancient memories,

your resolve continues to shine;

do you scrutinize each passer by?

Does charm of park, fear pacify?

 

Dignified though body stands hollow

where creatures cradled may descend;

collecting spiders webs for weaving,

while night's full moon is beaming.

 

When somber clouds weep moist tears,

you stand vital force of our history past;

holding untold knowledge of wise truth,

wisdom of sights and sounds never told.

 

Oh! Sacred bark in decomposition,

languish not though in twilight years;

stay silent – watchful through seasons,

pride in your senescent:: Worthy Majesty.

 

A poem about:

Her Majesty (Fairy Tale Oak Tree at

Fredville Park in Nonington Country of

Kent.

 

Short Video of  Oak tree: ‘The Majesty Oak’ in Kent(link is external)

 

 

 

 

 

Certificate U
Poem
Poems
Nature
Love

Comments

Submitted by Insertponceyfre... on

Wonderful - thank you Jenny. All oak trees are royalty!

 

Submitted by skinner_jennifer on

Yes you're right insert, all Oak trees are royality. This one is so old and been known to have flourished since at least 1554, when it was known as The Fredrick Oak...what an achievement that is.

I'm glad you liked my poem and thank you for letting me know.

Jenny.

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

It is amazing how many creatures live in and on the old oak trees. They are a lovely metaphor of the wisdom an aging person can have gleaned, and the care of others. Rhiannon

 

Submitted by skinner_jennifer on

The Oak  is my birth tree and has always inspired me Rhiannon. I agree with you that they are a lovely metaphor of wisdom.

Thank you for reading and your kind comment.

Jenny.

 

Submitted by Turlough on

It absolutely amazes me how a living organism can survive so long. Imagine the things it has lived through. I wouldn't want to be an oak tree myself though. 

Lovely poem Jenny.

Turlough

Submitted by skinner_jennifer on

Too true Turlough, She's supposed to be the tallest Oak Tree in the UK, also the thickest too...or so I read. I wouldn't mind being an Oak Tree myself. Her Majesty Oak I'm sure is well looked after and survives in such wonderful surroundings. I do hope it lives on for many years to come, but I know what you mean about how amazing it is that they can survive so long and things it's lived through. Truly astonishing.

Glad you liked my poem and thank you so much for your kind words.

Jenny.

.

 

Submitted by Ed Crane on

Coming from Kent myself I really appreciate this celebration of a wonderful tree

kind of compensates for so many that were lost it Kent in 1986 it was a terrible sight

 

 

Submitted by skinner_jennifer on

Ed you are so lucky to live in such a pretty part of the Uk. I'm happy that my poem did this Majestic tree justice. 

That's so sad that many Oaks were lost back in 1986, I didn't know about what happened. I can imagine it must have been awful to have lost so many.

It's very kind of you to let me know you enjoyed and thank you.

Jenny.

 

 

Submitted by Ed Crane on

I grew up in Kent, and spent a lot of time in the countryside when I could altough I lived in a town. I moved away mainly because I couldn't afford a house there. I actually live in Belgium these days. They have Oak of course but you don't see the mighty solitary individuals like in England, sadly.

I got my year wrong, I meant the great storm of 1987 when millions of trees were blown down including the famous oaks of Sevenoaks where my unncle lived. The countryside was deverstated

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_storm_of_1987(link is external)

Could be a subject for your next poem :)

 

Submitted by skinner_jennifer on

Thank you very much for the information Ed. I'm kind of stuck as far as writing poetry is concerned.

Have been so involved in a story I'm writing which has taken me nearly a year to write and I'm still only at the beginning and finding it hard to take the plot on further because of daily commitments, plus I'm very slow and don't enjoy sitting for too long.

I can imagine Belgium is a nice place to live. Are the houses cheaper over there? In some parts of the UK house prices are extortionate. I do feel sorry for young people today, trying to get on the property ladder.

I will think about your comment and see if I can come up with something.

Thanks again.

Jenny.

 

 

Submitted by Ed Crane on

I know the problem with writing long stories, I can only manage about one part a week, I'm not a fast writer. You seem to have the same hold ups as me :)

Belgium lifestyle in generally calmer than the UK as there are only 11 million in a country the size of Wales., but being split into two language cultures does give problems sometimes.

In the North where I live it's flat, similar to Norfolk and I don't think Oaks do well here, mostly they are in forested areas because of the need for so many drainage ditches, hedgerows are normally planted with willows to assist with drainage, some are over 1000 years old;

In the south it is quite hilly even small mountains in the Ardenne region. Very wooded areas in rolling country, similar to parts of the UK and Northern France.

House prices were very low compared to the UK in the 90s, but now prices have risen sharply over the past 5-10 years and the average house price is about £300,000,  but they do tend to be more spacious the typical houses in the UK.

Good luck with your story

 

 

Submitted by skinner_jennifer on

I Ed, thanks for your reply and I appreciate the good luck wishes with my story. 

Jenny.

 

Submitted by Jane Hyphen on

Royalty among trees, they always make the rest look transient and they certainly have dignity, watching in silence as the world flits around them. It makes you wonder if there must be something like a soul inside them absorbing these experiences. A home for so many and beautiful to look at.

 

Submitted by skinner_jennifer on

Hi Jane,

you said exactly what I feel when I come in to contact with an Oak Tree. I'm sure they do have souls absorbing experiences even if they can't speak. I'm very open minded and sensitive about communicating with nature, and feel sensations sometimes when touching the bark of trees. I suppose it's my sensitivity that causes me to weep when I see the destruction of nature, it's nearly always about power and money and makes me sick.

But when I see nature being preserved, then that puts a smile back on my face. smiley

You seem to understand where I'm coming from, for that I'm grateful.

Thank you so much for reading and your support.

Jenny.

 

Submitted by celticman on

I guess we all need to stay silent at such ancient wisdom. 

 

Submitted by skinner_jennifer on

Too true Jack. Stay silent and just wonder at what this tree has been through in its life time.

Appreciate you stopping by to read and share your thoughts.

Jenny.

 

Submitted by skinner_jennifer on

Thank you so much for the lovely cherries Editors, much appreciated.

Jenny.

 

Submitted by marandina on

"..stay silent – watchful through seasons,

pride in your senescent:: Worthy Majesty."

That's a big finish, Jenny. Trees are the best of us.

A wonderful poem, right there!

 

Submitted by skinner_jennifer on

You are right of course, trees are wonderful and we're so lucky on our earth to be blessed with them.

Many thanks for reading Paul. I'm glad this poem worked for you. Thank you for reading and letting me know.

Jenny.

 

Submitted by Di_Hard on

I love how start with "Richly bound", making me think of oak trees being like those huge gold embossed old books, the kind with ancient histories or even magic spells inside. And "resolve continues to shine" is a wonderful way to describe their long lives, also how light shimmers on wet leaves, while "vital force" shows how they keep growing, even new little twigs and buds each year. All huge trees are majestic, aren't they? I agree with you, about crying to see them fallen or felled, wish everyone valued them. If everyone could read your poem, perhaps they would!

 

Submitted by skinner_jennifer on

I can always depend on you to understand my writing Di. Just loved your idea of trees being like huge gold embossed old books...and ancient histories or magic spells is enchanting and inspiring.

Just love it when someone's on my wavelength. So thank you so much for reading and sharing your thoughts.

Jenny.

 

Submitted by memphis on

I enjoyed the kindle spirit with the mighty ancient oak.

William E Alexander

Submitted by skinner_jennifer on

Thank you memphis, I'm glad you liked this poem and appreciate your comment..

Jenny.