Dawnings
fireside
By Nicholas Hooper
gone now the friend who marked the end of our garden
growing for over a hundred years
ring by ring, its bark splitting and swelling
its branches spreading and taking in the sun
its roots creeping ever closer to the river’s edge
its creaking, whispering song is silent now
just the slight hiss and pop as its logs take the flame
flames that will finally consume it altogether
Ash to ashes, this great tree
that has died and given us life round our fireside
—————
About Dawnings:
“Every morning at around 5am I get up and go down to my studio. After a short meditation I write down whatever is in my head, giving myself fifteen minutes to do so. Then moving over to the piano (or a more portable instrument like my Ukulele when I'm away), I improvise and record a piece of music inspired by whatever words I just wrote. It is a great way of keeping both my writing and my composing going and I call these small creations Dawnings. They are mostly unedited, like sketches, so that they keep that fresh feeling of an early morning discovery.”
— Nick Hooper