It was at the turn in the road to Paikul that we saw this lone tree on the hill. On our way up the slope the dense undergrowth tore at my shirt and skin as we crashed the spiny carpet of green. Jaggu followed closely behind. In time we got up there and as I looked up at the leafless tree the Sun stared back hard. There was something about the barren tree I couldn't quite fathom as it reared up to the Sun, matching its fierce glare with the intensity of its own desolation. They stood toe to toe as I wiped away thin trails of blood welling up on my forearms where the thorns had caught them.
Sometimes I pull out this picture and look at it and wonder if I missed anything I shouldn't have.
The tree on the hill
Is bereft of leaves,
In a frenzy of joy
They had once danced themselves loose.
Is bereft of leaves,
In a frenzy of joy
They had once danced themselves loose.
did you write those lines.. they capture the pic perfectly ..good jobw
ReplyDeleteIt looks angry, ferocious.. seems to be objecting to something :p :)
ReplyDeleteLigne: Yes, I did. Thank you :)
ReplyDeleteTwilight Fairy: Very much so. I found its branches intriguing, especially the way they're splayed, as if wringing their 'hands' and asking 'why'.
the sun stared bak hard-- very good post
ReplyDeletei wonder how old that tree is? i love the last two lines of that verse you wrote.....so perfect.
ReplyDeletetrees fascinate me....i think i once took about 30 photos of the same tree. :)
Mark: Thank you.
ReplyDeleteBluemountainmama: Thank you. It must be old to be able to gather courage to stand up to the Sun.
Some trees are photogenic, others have barks that make for interesting patterns like the Crocodile Bark Tree, also called the 'Matti' in local language, which is the State tree of Goa.
Hi, Its a perfect article which speaks out the picture. Also check out some amazing write ups by real travelers on HolidayiQ.com which i think will interest you.
ReplyDeleteHi AnilP,
ReplyDeleteJust saw the comment you had left on my post about my father. Thanks...
Great pic and lovely lines to go with the pic...
noon
This solitary Tree! a living thing
ReplyDeleteProduced too slowly ever to decay;
Of form and aspect too magnificent
To be destroyed.
-William Wordsworth
it connects to my latest post..ur lines and the pic!!!
ReplyDeletelol...anyways nice blog...
and thanks for passing by my site
It is strange ...I think that trees without leaves are very photogenic ..they seem to be different ...nice pic and great lines
ReplyDeleteI like your poem, Anil.
ReplyDeleteAnusha: Thanks for the link.
ReplyDeleteNoon: Thank you. It's a pleasure.
Bluemountainmama: Couldn't agree more, they're eternal.
Sophie: Thank you :)
Sam: Thanks. There's something very sparse about leafless trees, as if they're displaying what they're made of by stripping away the 'fluff' so to say.
Kenju: Thank you.
I loved the intensity that shot has..the tree is like completely sayg FO to the sun! :D
ReplyDeleteand the trees played hackysack with the stars...
ReplyDeletenice poem anil...
and here's a nice biker clip you may like...though less scenic it has something quite uplifting about it..
http://remainsofthedesi.wordpress.com/2007/05/10/ghosts-on-machines-in-hyderabad/
Kits: :)
ReplyDeleteUnheimlich: Thank you.
I do so love your little poem.
ReplyDeletePS Hmmm...I will never think about the Buriganga river the same way again.
This is beautiful Anil...both the photo and your words. What kind of a tree is this?
ReplyDeleteI like yr poem...a very different way of looking at life
ReplyDeleteTrees ironically have been my inspiration ..I can endlessly keep looking at them ..I dont know their botanical names tho
Maryam: Thank you :)
ReplyDeleteJanice Thomson: I'm not sure myself.
Backpakker: Thank you. I agree. They're even more evocative if the landscapes are such that trees acquire an integrated feel and yet stand out.
beautiful! really beautiful.
ReplyDeleteAnish: Thanks.
ReplyDeleteLovely lines!
ReplyDeleteyes, i don't think i was wrong :)
ReplyDeletein a frenzy of joy...beautiful
btw, how did u come to delhidreams? and pls answer this on my blog.
Harini Sridharan: Thanks :)
ReplyDeleteAdi: Thank you. Like they say the world became small because it became interconnected :)