I asked my husband what one of his favorite plants were in the yard and he said Catalina Ironwood. I would have to agree with him. It is a magnificent looking tree and while we put two in the yard, I am still searching, wondering if I can find room for one more. They have a graceful fern-like leaves, reddish bark (at least at this young stage) and as they age and their trunks grow, the bark shreds into feathers that cling to the tree until the last possible moment when they fall to ground and create a beautiful leaf litter duff. In reading up on them I found that blue jays like to stash their food behind the bark and that alligator lizards tend to hide there too so sometimes, the blue jays get an unexpected live meal.
I knew I wanted to use the line about alligator lizards hiding there so then I brainstormed anything I could think of about the tree.
blue jays
hungry blue jays
search for food
bugs
lizards
hide
shush
no one is home
peeling
rusty slivers of bark
rusty feathers
under
beneath
behind
rusty bark feathers
beneath the bark
behind feathered bark
feathered bark
I came up with two versions. I’m not sure which I like best.
Catalina Ironwood
beneath feathered bark
alligator lizards hide
shush, no one is home
Catalina Ironwood
beneath feathered bark
alligator lizards hide
blue jays go hungry
@copyright Susan Taylor Brown
April 7, 2009
Haiku #7 – Catalina Ironwood
I like both of them very much, but I like the first a little better. It’s more in the POV of the alligators that are hiding.
Barbara
Re: Haiku #7 – Catalina Ironwood
Thanks. I am still torn. 🙂
I like the second one, but I am surrounded by jays, so…
ah yes, as I recall you are not a fan. LOL
My vote goes to #2. I’m really enjoying the Haiku.
Thanks, Lee. I’m having fun doing these. And the best part is that at the end of the month I’ll have a big stash of things to revise, my favorite thing to do!
I love the reviser. I guess because I’m one too. do we have a club?
Keep up the Haiku. I’ll stop by for more moments of reflection.
I like the sounds of the first one better, and the wryness of the second. So glad you posted both!
Thanks, Liz. Yeah, I’m torn between them both. Good thing these are workshops. I’m looking forward to having a bunch of them to revise at the end of the month.
I like them both, lots of imagery!Linda
Thanks, Linda!
Thanks. I am still torn. 🙂
I’m sure I’m going to have to find room for another one in my yard.