Live Oak and Suddenly a Storm by Judy Clarence

Live Oak

After seven years of walking
this road, I’ve picked my tree.
I hug it daily, stretch my arms
to wrap around its six hard trunks.
Little suckers grow from the bark,
resembling holly sprouts, spiny,
sharp, attempting, I suppose,
to grow into branches. They’ve
got a long way to go.

We talk about the weather, how
my tree breathes the rain, smiles
at the sun. We discuss the neighbors;
who’s walked their dog today, who’s
forgotten to retrieve their trash bin.
I name each trunk for members
of my family: grandsons, grand-
daughter, son. And one trunk
for me. Which of all of us
will live the longest? Pretty sure
it won’t be me. Seven years
of walking on this road.
There won’t be seven more.
Each remaining day I hug
five warm relatives. I hug
the last trunk. For me. We’ve all
got a long way to go.

And Suddenly a Storm

Quite unannounced. We’re not prepared,
on the deck, watching dark clouds
in the east form bomb-like thrusts
of sound. Doves on the railing scoot
back and forth, confused. To keep
on crunching seed? Or flap off
to the trees? They choose to flee.
The hills, now ink-black, absorb
strange sunlight, arrived from
no known where, while brave
little finches, innocent kids, crowd
the feeders. Will it rain?
The wind is undecided, feeds
and fears the far-off war, is stunned
to inaction as artillery fills
those distant voids with death.

Learn more about Judy on the Contributors page.

(Photo: Carl Wycoff/flickr.com/ CC BY 2.0)

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Deadline: September 30th, 2024

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Judy Clarence

Judy Clarence, a retired academic librarian, currently lives with her daughter, grandchildren, two cats and a dog in the Sierra (California) foothills after many years in Berkeley. She plays violin (baroque and modern) in several orchestras and chamber groups, has sung in many classical choruses, and writes poetry almost constantly. Her work has appeared in Persimmon Tree, Amarillo Bay, Shot Glass Journal, Allegro, and Tigershark, among other publications. She has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize.