Tall Oak Tree

Listen to poem:

I must have been five
And my brother only four
Feeling adventurous
We explored the wooden area
A stone's throw from home

I had the bright idea
To climb that tall oak tree
It was so grand and majestic
I told my brother to stay put

I climbed up and up
Way out onto a branch
Then I had nowhere to go
Stuck I couldn’t back up
Ended up flipping over
Arms and legs
Precariously wrapped
Around a rough old branch
Looking straight up at the sky
I knew I was in trouble
When my grip got loose
And my little arms let go
I held my breath to no avail
Free falling slow motion

It was the strangest feeling
To see my little body
Flat on its back
From way up above
And hearing a deep voice
Out of my own throat
Saying to go get help
Laying there motionless
As I watched still from way above
Like never again ever in my life



AP: Honorable Mention 2020

Submitted on September 20, 2017 for contest POEMS THAT PAINT A PICTURE 3 sponsored by SILENT ONE  -  RANKED 4TH

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Constance La France

Date: 9/26/2017 1:18:00 PM

CONGRATULATIONS!

Line Gauthier
Date: 9/26/2017 4:50:00 PM

Thanks for your note. Have a great week!

Robert Lindley

Date: 9/26/2017 10:05:00 AM

CONGRATS ON YOUR WIN.

Line Gauthier
Date: 9/26/2017 4:50:00 PM

Thanks for your note. Have a fabulous week !

Silent One

Date: 9/26/2017 10:00:00 AM

Oh.. It is a wonderful poem and it does paint a picture of your experience, however the contest was about the image of the dancer that was on the contest page..

Line Gauthier
Date: 9/26/2017 4:52:00 PM

Wow- I was really our in left field !! Still new to this site and so far I've had a few growing pains... this would be one of them. Thanks so much for getting back to me with this feedback. Much appreciated.

Silent One

Date: 9/26/2017 7:38:00 AM

Sorry, but I did not understand how this was relevant to the painting.. Congratulations on your placement in the contest..

Line Gauthier
Date: 9/26/2017 9:16:00 AM

Thanks for your feedback, much appreciated - I thought I was painting picture of the traumatic experience of myself falling as a kid 50 years ago... I must have read the guidelines too quickly...

Andrea Dietrich

Date: 9/20/2017 6:56:00 PM

wow, what a story. I am assuming it was true? There was a movie last year about a little girl who fell down the hollowed out INSIDE part of a huge tree.It put her in a coma and when she came out of it, it was a miracle because the disease she previously had was completely gone from her body! I really like this, Line. (by the way, I did oak too!!)

Line Gauthier
Date: 9/20/2017 7:20:00 PM

Hi Andrea. I'll check you out - yes it was a true story. It really was the ONLY time in my life I ever saw my body from outside even in dream... now on to read your poem.