Stone # 20

Jo Bryant,

shelter

shade

a place to rest my eyes

that cooled their burning tears,

warmed their icy sadness,

your one transgression

the slow disintegration

of my wooden passageway

betwixt the interior and exterior compartments

of where I cast my lot

on the morrow

you fall

and a piece of me falls with you

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Sadly these China Dolls are to be felled tomorrow. The previous owner’s didn’t think ahead (in New Zealand things grow at an astounding rate – and these trees can reach 30 metres in height), and they are destroying my deck stairs. For eight years I have loved them and the sight of them has given me many hours of joy.

Charlie in particular is going to be distraught at their going – when he runs outside in the morning he shoots straight into the tree on the right and scales it like a comet. His favourite pastime is to lurk in the fork of the trunk and pounce on anything that passes by.

You can't really see me...
Just a little bit closer if you please...

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I’m taking part in the January 2012 River of Stones.

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My other stones so far…

Stone # 1

Stone # 2

Stone # 3

Stone # 4

Stone # 5

Stone # 6

Stone # 7

Stone # 8

Stone # 9

Stone # 10

Stone # 11

Stone # 12

Stone # 13

Stone # 14

Stone # 15

Stone # 16

Stone # 17

Stone # 18

Stone # 19

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Due to a comment I would like to say that I don’t cut these guys down lightly.

And Charlie still has PLENTY of trees to climb and lurk about in…

Here are some of them.

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Published by Jo Bryant

I was born in the land of Banjo Paterson, gum trees, and weather extremes. I am a freelance photographer. I love to make images that make people happy. To capture forever a precious moment. I am also a freelance writer/editor. I live in the Bay of Plenty, New Zealand, but still like to claim my Australian heritage. I graduated with a Bachelor of Communications in 2008. I am writing my first novel. I love to write poetry, short stories, and also write for the web. And there is nothing that is on a par with a sunny summer's day spent at Waihi Beach.

20 Comments

    1. They are going to warm me in the winter by going into the fireplace…I am thinking of putting some palms in – but at a better distance from the steps. I will say that I won’t miss the constant clean up as they are always dropping leaves, spring, summer, autumn and winter. It will also mean more light around that side of the house. But I do love them, so probably will have a quiet tear shed away from the tough Kiwi blokes that are coming to do the deed…

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      1. I only meant that then you would always have a part of those trees to remember and I’ve seen some amazing things made with chainsaw carving, but it could just be a small thing.

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        1. Gilly it was not your comment that caused the reponse !! But you actually did give me food for thought on whether I could do something with what was left…
          🙂
          🙂
          🙂

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    1. That’s spoken like someone who has a few spare dollars…I have to take what I can get, and the trees I can get someone to deal with without needing a new mortgage…also, as these trees are only presently at one third to a half of their predicted height, should a storm hit later there is a danger of a rather LARGE branch landing on either the roof or the deck requiring a a LARGE repair bill, as well as some slight danger to anyone under it at the time.
      Charlie will survive – we have a bunch of other trees that will never be felled while I still live here…

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  6. Aw, such a shame. 😦 I wish you could afford to just move the deck stairs instead of the trees, but it sounds like you’ve given it a lot of thought. Best of luck with it!

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    1. Yes it is a shame – I wish the previous owners had done some research on what they were planting. I’ve had problems with other things they have planted in really inappropriate places – had to take out three Acacia trees that were tearing my driveway to pieces and also in danger of falling down in storms. Plants do so well here and grow so quickly and so large that you really need to examine what and where you are planting before you go ahead if you don’t wish to have to take things out later…
      🙂

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