photos Christman Preserve by Mark O'Brien

BIOREGIONAL NOTE FROM ALAN CASLINE  
                        
W.W. Christman Tribute                                                          June 1, 2008

         Autumn

Loveliest of amber

     Tints the vines that sprawl

On the banks, and clamber

      Up the roadside wall.

Brighter glows the maple,                                                

     Shines the beech in bronze;

Red as any apple

     Are the sumach fronds.

Great oaks gowned in scarlet

     Fringe the pasture lands.

Jewelled like a harlot

     The barberry stands.

In your garlands wreath them,

      Poets, if you will,

As I used to see them

      On the Helderhill.

                        W.W. Christman

Clamber, clumsy or hard climb

Alan "Bird" Casline:  Couple of things about this poem I really like. It's a short one but... I like that he addresses the poets who are coming after him-- "poets if you will."

Mark "Obeedude" O'Brien:  Are they poets who he's in contact with as contemporaries or are they after that?

Bird:  I think it's poets through time. It's you and me. He was known as someone who encouraged other poets in his time but he is talking about as he used to see them. He's talking about when he is gone. The other thing I really like about this piece, I recognize the species that he refers to-- I mean it's not esoteric. he's talking about maple, beech, apple, sumac, but if this was a poem written by someone who lived in the desert southwest and they were talking about, you know, whatever... cactus, mesquite, whatever they would be talking about in that climate, bio-region I wouldn't know it but I do know this-- so he's writing, that's one of the things I like about his writing. He is writing about what I know.

Obeedude:  There are species contained in here, surround us as we speak and the way in here as we left the roadside wall, we went through pasture, what nwas I'm sure pasture land at one point until we came to the woods. So he is ask9ing us to sing their praises after he's gone, you say.

Bird: Yes, continue... "wreath them with garlands" appreciate them-- experience them--

Obeedude:  You don't need to be a poet to do that but I wish more people did though.