Elizabeth Barrette (ysabetwordsmith) wrote,
Elizabeth Barrette
ysabetwordsmith
  • Mood: busy

Poem: "Oaks and Olives"

This poem came out of the November 3, 2015 Poetry Fishbowl. It was inspired and sponsored by Shirley Barrette.


"Oaks and Olives"


The future of the elders lies
not in their hours or days,
but in oaks and olives.

They have already run their race,
made homes, raised children,
arranged their affairs.

They do not look to the future
for their own sake, but for
those who come after.

Do not come to them with questions
about what the future may hold:
it will not hold them for long.

The future of the elders
is planting trees in whose shade
they know they will never be able to sit.


Tags: cyberfunded creativity, fishbowl, nature, poem, poetry, reading, weblit, writing
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  • 2 comments
technoshaman

technoshaman

November 6 2015, 21:10:21 UTC 5 years ago

There it is again.

I am willing to sacrifice
Something I don't have
For something I won't have
But Somebody Will, someday
-- Ada Palmer
ysabetwordsmith

Well...

ysabetwordsmith

November 7 2015, 03:00:59 UTC 5 years ago

This was actually written before I got the prompt with that song, but I agree, the sentiment is similar.