I am becoming an autumn tree

Autumn TreeA poem I wrote about the aging process!

Our prompt was to make a page in our art journals in which we were a plant of some kind. So I made this page in which I am becoming an autumn tree, and that inspired me to write this poem. I hardly ever write poems so it was significant for me. I am pleased with the poem. Here it is:

I am becoming an autumn tree

My leaves no longer greenly, perkily lifting

Toward the sun

My limbs sometimes creaky in the wind,

All my seeds have floated away and now bloom

In far off lands

My blossoms have lost the blush of youth

And I foresee the day when my leaves will fall, one by one

Into  the silence of winter.

 

And yet, the sap still pulses in my veins,

the breeze still sings in my branches,

and my leaves, Ah my leaves are a blazing torch,

lighting up my corner of the forest.

I offer my gifts to those who come searching,

Vermilion and crimson, russet and gold,

The autumn illuminates me, I am aglow 

with the wisdom of many seasons,

and my autumn song may yet become

the sweetest of them all.

Growing Older

A few weeks ago I had a week when a few different people commented that I looked unhappy lately. This perplexed me because actually I don’t think I’ve ever been happier really! So I figured out it’s because the corners of my mouth are succumbing to gravity, so if you catch sight of me not smiling I probably do look unhappy, or even grumpy! This is of course a rather disturbing new development in my aging process, but not one I can do much about, unless I have a facelift which I won’t.I have noticed that not everyone gets this dropping mouth thing, I guess its hereditary because it happened to my mother. I wish it wasn’t happening. Sometimes I feel a bit depressed when I unexpectedly catch sight of myself in the mirror or not smiling in photos. On the other hand, some people my age are much more wrinkled than I am, so I suppose we all have different aging processes. I’m trying not to think about it, I mean I’m healthy and happy, and glad to be alive and able to go through the aging process! I think it was Maurice Chevalier who said “Old age isn’t so bad when you consider the alternative”.

So I made a page about all this and here it is. It is a fairly simple page really. I used some stencils and stamps and the red flowers are from some old wrapping paper.

I’ve nearly completed my first art journal..I started it in September last year, so its taken me 15 months. I have been working in a couple of other journals as well, but this is my large A4 one and I’m feeling quite proud of it. We have an art journal “exhibition” on next Thursday when some of the brave souls from our art journaling class (including me) will be putting them on display. It’s a bit scarey! I’ll take some photos and let you know how it all goes. I’ll be smiling in the photos.