The Departing Oak | Teen Ink

The Departing Oak

July 15, 2013
By BlackbeltJames GOLD, Reading, Other
BlackbeltJames GOLD, Reading, Other
14 articles 0 photos 193 comments

Favorite Quote:
Isaac Asimov - "Intelligence is an accident of evolution, and not necessarily an advantage.”


In the flowing nature of October, where the rich smell of death looms,
acorns bounce against the decaying ground of fallen leaves.
They departed from the branch that reached to the sun,
reaching up to it like an insect to a headlight.
Hope, hope, was all they had;
would either swerve to achieve its goal?
Was it to reach the light,
or have it avoid them like a fungus in the damp confinement of the roots?

Like at the train station, they wave in the wind,
softly, smoothly, gently;
bidding farewell, hopeless as they fall to the ground.
The leaves falling to their grave,
soaring through the air, they ended gladly;
painlessly.

Without the great structure that held it, they were nothing;
they faded into the undergrowth, never to be seen, nor ever noticed.
Vanishing segments of something once great,
the leaves mourned their own departure for the doubt of remembrance.

Buried, but without a trace of a tombstone,
their bodies lost in the grass and filth.
Mother nature dies, yet nobody notices;
time has passed and others left too.
The wind of the train flying past took the last of the leaves off of the great oak,
catching its suffering depression in its headlights.

Hope was lost and hatred unearthed;
they all abandoned each other, and the great tree wilted.
Alone to rake the leaves together,
disheartened as their screams in the wind blew their stubbornness through the gathering.
Either becoming dust of buried nature, or blowing far away, just to rid themselves of the pain.
From our great family tree, I was the last to leave.


The author's comments:
This is just something I started writing and it gradually built up to create this; most likely influenced by the topics we study in sociology. I find that it is a little complicated due to the odd timeline of the poem, however, if you read through it twice, it should make sense.
There is a deeper meaning than you initially think.

Similar Articles

JOIN THE DISCUSSION

This article has 46 comments.


on May. 29 2014 at 7:48 pm
BlackbeltJames GOLD, Reading, Other
14 articles 0 photos 193 comments

Favorite Quote:
Isaac Asimov - "Intelligence is an accident of evolution, and not necessarily an advantage.”

Thanks, glad you enjoyed it :)

on May. 26 2014 at 2:45 pm
Luv4Ever SILVER, Jacksonville, Florida
7 articles 0 photos 199 comments

Favorite Quote:
A miracle is just another name for hard work
-Minho in "To The Beautiful You"

nice use of words to ensnare your reader, keep it up^^

on Apr. 16 2014 at 5:04 pm
BlackbeltJames GOLD, Reading, Other
14 articles 0 photos 193 comments

Favorite Quote:
Isaac Asimov - "Intelligence is an accident of evolution, and not necessarily an advantage.”

Haha, wow, thanks! :D

Nobuo GOLD said...
on Apr. 15 2014 at 7:03 pm
Nobuo GOLD, Dio, Missouri
16 articles 1 photo 65 comments

Favorite Quote:
Hello

Terrific, multi talented. You're one lucky guy to have such skills

on Sep. 24 2013 at 5:33 pm
BlackbeltJames GOLD, Reading, Other
14 articles 0 photos 193 comments

Favorite Quote:
Isaac Asimov - "Intelligence is an accident of evolution, and not necessarily an advantage.”

Don't worry its fine, I have school too, I know how it feels. Thanks for the feedback, I'm glad you enjoyed it, and found the hidden meaning.

on Sep. 24 2013 at 5:31 pm
BlackbeltJames GOLD, Reading, Other
14 articles 0 photos 193 comments

Favorite Quote:
Isaac Asimov - "Intelligence is an accident of evolution, and not necessarily an advantage.”

Thanks, I'm really glad you enjoyed it and understood it :D

on Sep. 23 2013 at 10:11 pm
E.J.Mathews GOLD, International Falls, Minnesota
19 articles 2 photos 145 comments
Hey, BlackbeltJames, sorry this took so long for me to read this, anyways I really liked this piece! I'm not very educated in the ways of poetry, so I can't criticize your structure or anything like that, but I really liked the overall flow of the poem. The story to the poem was also very unique, and wonderful to read. Great job!

on Sep. 21 2013 at 6:48 pm
BlackbeltJames GOLD, Reading, Other
14 articles 0 photos 193 comments

Favorite Quote:
Isaac Asimov - "Intelligence is an accident of evolution, and not necessarily an advantage.”

Thanks, i'm glad you enjoyed it so much :D

Netnel GOLD said...
on Sep. 20 2013 at 9:25 am
Netnel GOLD, Fair Lawn, New Jersey
17 articles 1 photo 22 comments

Favorite Quote:
Everything that is done in the world is done by hope.

This was an amazing poem that was very thought provoking I loved the last line, especially, the way it pulls the whole thing together. It was very nice.

on Sep. 15 2013 at 3:33 pm
BlackbeltJames GOLD, Reading, Other
14 articles 0 photos 193 comments

Favorite Quote:
Isaac Asimov - "Intelligence is an accident of evolution, and not necessarily an advantage.”

Yeah, I'm more of a story writer, so this poem probably reflected that, but the concept of the poem was to be everything you said, just for that end that brings it all together. I'm glad you enjoyed it! :D

on Sep. 15 2013 at 1:36 pm
WishfulDoer GOLD, Portland, Oregon
14 articles 0 photos 69 comments

Favorite Quote:
If ignorance is bliss, why is our country so complicated?

This was a very complex poem. I loved how it maintained a poetic rhythm but still sounded like a story. I love the suspense of it, and as soon as you reach the last line everything just makes sense. Great poem!

Iyanna D. said...
on Aug. 26 2013 at 12:29 pm
This poem is excellent. Right from the beginning i can read out the sense of imagery and the poem just flows wonderfully. I can make the literal connection and I get the deeper meaning too. Great metaphor you used.

on Aug. 16 2013 at 6:06 pm
BlackbeltJames GOLD, Reading, Other
14 articles 0 photos 193 comments

Favorite Quote:
Isaac Asimov - "Intelligence is an accident of evolution, and not necessarily an advantage.”

All comments help, but yours was very constructive, thanks. I'm glad you enjoyed it :)

on Aug. 14 2013 at 6:28 pm
tori-gurl PLATINUM, Norwich, New York
32 articles 0 photos 85 comments

Favorite Quote:
smile through everything no matter how bad it gets because it could be worse and if it gets worse well then it can only get better. :)

The last line definitely pulls the entire poem together. I loved it! All of the imagery that you used to help pull this piece together definitely made the poem more alive. Using the nature and tree metaphors was definitely helpful in your illustration of what family means and how it can all fall apart very easily. I do believe that the underlying message should be illustrated a little better so that people are aware of what you are displaying through your art :) It should just be made more clear, because someone who sees the length of the poem may just give up on it before they have a chance to understand how deep the poem really is. (I understand that the length of a poem really shouldnt be a factor in whether or not someone reads it, but sadly that is just the way some people are) Anyway, I thought this poem was beautiful and I hope my comments helped! :)  

on Aug. 9 2013 at 12:31 pm
BlackbeltJames GOLD, Reading, Other
14 articles 0 photos 193 comments

Favorite Quote:
Isaac Asimov - "Intelligence is an accident of evolution, and not necessarily an advantage.”

I think most writers do hahaha

on Aug. 9 2013 at 12:27 pm
BlackbeltJames GOLD, Reading, Other
14 articles 0 photos 193 comments

Favorite Quote:
Isaac Asimov - "Intelligence is an accident of evolution, and not necessarily an advantage.”

Yep, that is the deeper meaning, because if the tree that is wilting is a family tree, and I'm refuring to death and the last leaf has fallen - you can probably make the connection and understand it.
Yes it is sad, but only if when you concentrate on its true meaning. I'm glad you enjoyed it :D

on Aug. 9 2013 at 11:11 am
Jade.I.Am ELITE, Fishers, Indiana
214 articles 14 photos 1159 comments

Favorite Quote:
“If you're losing your soul and you know it, then you've still got a soul left to lose”
― Charles Bukowski

I like the connection at the end to a family tree. Maybe that connection was a part of the "deeper meaning"? Regardless, I think my favorite line was "Without the great structure that held it, they were nothing;/they faded into the undergrowth, never to be seen, nor ever noticed." This is such a pretty poem, if sad, and I liked the depiction of decay, the loss of hope, and all that. Really cool. Keep writing :)

OldYoungOne said...
on Aug. 9 2013 at 10:54 am
I completely understand the struggle.

on Aug. 9 2013 at 6:25 am
BlackbeltJames GOLD, Reading, Other
14 articles 0 photos 193 comments

Favorite Quote:
Isaac Asimov - "Intelligence is an accident of evolution, and not necessarily an advantage.”

Well its down to your own interpretation, but your close. I'm glad you enjoyed it though :D

midnightwoah said...
on Aug. 8 2013 at 7:50 pm
midnightwoah, Monett, Missouri
0 articles 0 photos 188 comments

Favorite Quote:
"We accept the love we think we deserve." -Stephen Chbosky

I think the deeper meaning is how people feel about crossing onto the other side. I've checked out you other works and how long there were. I'm glad you write discriptive and lengthly writings to get your reader hooked.