Loveliest of Trees

 

Photo by J Lee on Unsplash

Loveliest of Trees
A. E. Housman - 1859-1936

Loveliest of trees, the cherry now
Is hung with bloom along the bough,
And stands about the woodland ride
Wearing white for Eastertide.

Now, of my threescore years and ten,
Twenty will not come again,
And take from seventy springs a score,
It only leaves me fifty more.

And since to look at things in bloom
Fifty springs are little room,
About the woodlands I will go
To see the cherry hung with snow.

Cherry blossom is one of the joys of Spring. We're lucky to have lots of it in our village, although it's past its best now. No sooner do the blossoms appear than they fade and die, especially on a breezy day. 

Japan is famous for its cherry blossoms, or Sakura. "They are said to be like clouds as they bloom all at once and hang above the trees as if to shroud them in mist. Then – just like clouds – they suddenly disappear. Through this, they have come to symbolize ephemerality or transient nature of life. " Click here to find out more about Sakura.

Of my 'three score years and ten' sixty six will not come again. I'm hoping to live beyond seventy, but Housman reminds us in his poem that time is limited. He loves looking at the trees, but life, like the blossom, is fleeting, so we need to spend time doing the things we really love, and not waste it on those that do not please us. 

Writing prompts:

• What is your favourite tree? Write about it and why you like it. 
• What do you need to spend more time doing before it is too late? Is it, like the poet, looking at cherry blossom, or perhaps climbing mountains, pottering in your garden or cuddling your grandchildren. Make a list, or write about one particular thing that pleases you.