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The Lure of the Loblolly Pine
by Maureen GlaudePinus taeda
Southern United States treasure
member of the yellow pine
youre always the pioneer
in the environs where youre found
whether in first birth of the forest
or as primary Phoenix to rise
after fires ravages, and
once begun, you grow the fastest
your branches are open-minded
to either sex
boasting both the red-to-yellow range of the
male in his cylindrical shape
and the yellow-purple of the female
in ovoid
your growth spurt in youth (unblemished)
can take you to one hundred feet in height
which you carry with perfect posture
you offer a home to the white-tailed deer
gray squirrels, rabbits, wild turkey
and in their regions, bald eagle and osprey
on your portfolio of talents
you act as a natural buffer
to sound and wind
human pioneers boiled resin
from your bark
to produce pitch or tar
even at the time of demise
your mulch in acidic soil
grows azaleas and camellias
landscapes without your growth
have much to lament in your absence
you who stand so straight, as a high and proud
symbol of life, eternal
evergreen 06/16/2004
Author's Note: A draft.
Some parts of Canada I believe have these too, the West Coast, maybe unfortunately, not Ontario as I understand it. Some information is thanks to Google.ca
Posted on 06/16/2004
Copyright © 2025 Maureen Glaude
| Member Comments on this Poem |
| Posted by Chris Sorrenti on 06/16/04 at 04:54 PM Captivating portrait of a specific species and its affect on the ecosystem around it. Between you and me, at the rate we're going, we should have this continent's entire flaura and fauna catalogued poetically by the end of year. |
| Posted by Paganini Jones on 06/20/04 at 09:00 PM I like this - a form of poetry I have not attempted too! Am I right assuming that the shape of the poem reflects the shape of the tree? If so - WOW - another concrete poem too! |
| Posted by Paganini Jones on 06/20/04 at 09:04 PM (You can always tell a good poem - it sends me off to my favourite search engine to find out more! Guess where I've just been?) |
| Posted by James Zealy on 08/04/04 at 03:53 PM I am from the south, North Carolina in fact. Lob Lolly pines are abundant especially in Eastern North Carolina. At one time, in colonial days during the era of Wooden ships and tall masts, North Carolina was a major source of naval stores including pitch and tar. It is where the nickname "Tarheel state" had its birth, as it is easy to see how tar and pitch can be aquired by the heels. |
| Posted by Michelle Angelini on 02/27/05 at 11:26 PM Mo, just happened to be looking through your library and this title caught my eye. It's a wonderful tribute to a tree that involves so much of nature in its lifespan. We are all interconnected, aren't we?
~Chelle~ |
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