But Alas! The Trees were not humming



In search of peace, in search of bliss
To relive magic in the city I often miss
I ventured into my beloved forest of the old
Where time seemed like it always was on hold
Besides the pond, behind the burial ground
Beneath the sparkling skies, I wanted to hear the humming of the trees

Swaying rhythmically to the left or to the right
So sprightly like a ballerina in full flight
Pleasantly overwhelmed by the sight,
My heart fluttered in remembrance of those adolescent nights
As I waited to hear the soft singing
But Alas! the trees were not humming
All I could hear was deathly screeching

Dazed and confused I went further
And as my myopic vision became clearer
What looked like rhythm was an assortment of chaos
Parched dirt, chopped oaks, and burnt willows
Withered leaves, dry stumps and diseased trunks
Illuminated by the fires from the nearby industrial junks

I looked up expecting to awaken from the devil's nightmare
But no sight of the blue wonder above only bloody smoke flares
Besides the pond a bunch of masked devils reeking of ill-gained wealth
Wishing each other more affluence and good health
With a wounded heart and tearful eyes
I slowly trudged back in to the reality of hell masked and covered in ash

About this poem

The poet's thought process while writing this poem: What he meant was trees emit ultrasonic sounds, which only a person with supernatural abilities can hear. So it's a kind of hint that the poet can either connect with the supernatural or he is dreaming.

Font size:
Collection  PDF     
 

Written on June 01, 2021

Submitted by aurovind200 on August 05, 2021

Modified by aurovind200 on August 05, 2021

1:05 min read
22

Quick analysis:

Scheme AABBXX CCCXDDD EEXXXA XXFFXX
Closest metre Iambic hexameter
Characters 1,196
Words 217
Stanzas 4
Stanza Lengths 6, 7, 6, 6

Aurovind Acharya

An aspiring amateur, who believes poetry is about what happens to humans and how they deal with it. more…

All Aurovind Acharya poems | Aurovind Acharya Books

1 fan

Discuss the poem But Alas! The Trees were not humming with the community...

0 Comments

    Translation

    Find a translation for this poem in other languages:

    Select another language:

    • - Select -
    • 简体中文 (Chinese - Simplified)
    • 繁體中文 (Chinese - Traditional)
    • Español (Spanish)
    • Esperanto (Esperanto)
    • 日本語 (Japanese)
    • Português (Portuguese)
    • Deutsch (German)
    • العربية (Arabic)
    • Français (French)
    • Русский (Russian)
    • ಕನ್ನಡ (Kannada)
    • 한국어 (Korean)
    • עברית (Hebrew)
    • Gaeilge (Irish)
    • Українська (Ukrainian)
    • اردو (Urdu)
    • Magyar (Hungarian)
    • मानक हिन्दी (Hindi)
    • Indonesia (Indonesian)
    • Italiano (Italian)
    • தமிழ் (Tamil)
    • Türkçe (Turkish)
    • తెలుగు (Telugu)
    • ภาษาไทย (Thai)
    • Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)
    • Čeština (Czech)
    • Polski (Polish)
    • Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian)
    • Românește (Romanian)
    • Nederlands (Dutch)
    • Ελληνικά (Greek)
    • Latinum (Latin)
    • Svenska (Swedish)
    • Dansk (Danish)
    • Suomi (Finnish)
    • فارسی (Persian)
    • ייִדיש (Yiddish)
    • հայերեն (Armenian)
    • Norsk (Norwegian)
    • English (English)

    Citation

    Use the citation below to add this poem to your bibliography:

    Style:MLAChicagoAPA

    "But Alas! The Trees were not humming" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 28 Mar. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/106460/but-alas!-the-trees-were-not-humming>.

    Become a member!

    Join our community of poets and poetry lovers to share your work and offer feedback and encouragement to writers all over the world!

    More poems by

    Aurovind Acharya

    »

    March 2024

    Poetry Contest

    Join our monthly contest for an opportunity to win cash prizes and attain global acclaim for your talent.
    3
    days
    1
    hour
    45
    minutes

    Special Program

    Earn Rewards!

    Unlock exciting rewards such as a free mug and free contest pass by commenting on fellow members' poems today!

    Browse Poetry.com

    Quiz

    Are you a poetry master?

    »
    An expression where the literal meaning is different from the intended meaning is called ________.
    A synonym
    B idiom
    C simile
    D metaphor