Kit Kelen’s ‘Up Through the Branches’
from Up Through the Branches
of bright birds, dull
of leaves caught light with
sunshine sown
a welcoming –
of wind, of cloud, of constellation
as from the vast of days
it isn’t the eye alone to see, to steady with the sky
they stand tattooed, leaf shone exalt
a puzzle of bark to read past weather
breakfast in branches honey in the highest
count them, lose yourself this way
this is the tree where possum learned climbing
and came to grief
tree of the swing where we killed hours
if I could reach like this I’d be rich
wings dip and lift in quilting light
and everything with tail and twitch
comes under spell
of lichen, moss
and catch the fruit that’s falling
be hat upon trudge, crook head to the tilt
praise the tree, rub up
clouds have plumped for top of it
some hang and some are racing
as travelled by ants all making home
where light’s trick web is woven
with such a symmetry
shade summer cast
see flight’s arcs and tangents
tree of the tune grew up with me
all twig till tip and step off into empty air
moving eager insect after
here’s the rain
it’s like a hat
won’t you call it love?
earth clinging
where is the forest of the rain?
the book of more than pages?
joists and planks and beams above
and shh! there’s someone sleeping
unseen though, no initials carved
erect a church out of it all
and paint till there’s a heaven
it’s weatherwork, the tree
bonfire of falling limbs our tribute
built from the kindling donation
where lightning struck there’s timpani
tinkling breeze and leaf tip trill
all suggestions are symphonic
bark is peeled and coiled to fall
this is the tree of the creatures trysting
though the conclusion’s night
moss in the folds and tendril higher
so is the chorus kept
the felled tree gathers veins to light
scrap of scribble breeze makes leaf
so death is a living thing
everyone visits
it’s as through a lattice seen
to let grow
where bare the branches crowd with stars
it’s not like a wake at all
but every bolt is from the blue
as if all souls stood with you now
silent for applause
