Trees Probe the Sky

Trees probe the sky
like aerials tuned in to sadness.

The shrubs and grasses at their feet
find them omnipotent.

One certain tree
on a pedestal of crumbling earth

starts to preach wildly,
transformed, craning towards God.

Even in an empty sky
there is so much to see.



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Note:

The image above is not a painting but an example of landscape stone. The person I bought this example from told me it came from Spain. It is similar to 'Paesine', a sedimentary rock formed some 62 million years ago and quarried in Tuscany, Italy. I have posted an image of paesine here. The rock is a kind of marly limestone called "Calcari alberisi" in Italy which has been quarried since the 16th century. When the rock is broken open or sliced, images can be observed on the surface which recall natural landscapes such as cliffs, the sea, towers, steeples, ruined villages, blue skies and clouds. This unusual aspect is due to mineralisation brought about by water which circulates through the rocks underground, penetrating between the calcareous beds and through irregular fine cracks.

Image and text © Jonathan Wonham