Common Ground is an organisation in England that celebrates the locally unique aspects of life in one small country in a globalising world, where the local is so often disappearing. One of their projects is to celebrate and support the development of community orchards. Many old traditional orchard have disappeared and along with them the old characterful varieties of apple. There used to be over 2 000 varieties of apple grown in England, now many people may not have ever eaten a Russet or a Cox's Orange Pippin, let alone anything so unique as a medlar. Now though community orchards are being planted and maintained in the south of England, including in and near Bath and Oxford.
pear tree blossoms fall -
the budding fruit.
brown hands pick applesfrom leafy gnarled branches -jugs of cider. blackbirds feast on wind fallen apples -dawn chorus. For information on English varieties of apple, including the Russett and Cox's Orange Pippin visit Ronnie Appleseed. Common Ground for One Deep Breath.
16 comments:
We have memories of apple orchards. Thanks for the information and very vivid haiku.
Rose
xo
I loved these, especially the first with the description of bullfinches. Spot on.
Wonderful premise for this organization. I love the idea of "celebrating the local unique aspects of life."
Your haiku are just perfect, I think. I love the way they capture that one moment in the orchard, a perfect, spare word picture. We have a little orchard of our own in the backyard, with some very old apple trees (at least old by American standards!)and I can picture all these scenes taking place there.
Lovely, as always :)
Oh, I always loved the apple cider from the rich apples harvested during the fall- this brings back such nice memories!
Thank you!
Rose - thanks!
Sian - glad you liked the bullfinches, they're one of my favourite birds (but then I don't own any fruit trees!)
Becca - Thanks! how wonderful to have an orchard of your own!
Regina - thanks!
I can hear those blackbirds!
The apple orchard calls to me in your second poem. It brings back a very vivid picture. Lovely.
What is it about modern life that so embraces monoculture? I've tended to rant and rave at people because of their neatly manicured lawns, full of pesticides and chemical fertilizers. In this area it's one of the reasons we have so many fire ants, who bully out the native ants and thus contribute to the decline of the creatures who fed on the natives. Nature is not a monoculture.
I really appreciate your updates on local efforts to preserve ecology and your poetic depictions of nature. You're an inspiration to my small attempts at cutting consumption. Thanks.
Loved the imagery and am thrilled to hear about projects like this. Well done!
Great poems. Sure wish we had bullfinches here.
Check out the new book by Barbara Kingsolver on Amazon, about a similar subject to your common ground.
Community orchards are a wonderful idea. Your haiku are so very pretty -- I really love the image of pair blossoms and fat bullfinches, especially. All of them are perfect.
pear tree blossoms fall -
fat pink bullfinches nip
the budding fruit.
I love words, but sometimes it's the rhythm that gets me...like this time. "fat pink bullfinches nip" punches the words out...so cool. I read it over and over & it made me smile to myself.
your haiku are always so colourful...and these are tasty too! I second Megan on her comment about the rhythm of "fat pink bullfinches nip". (As an aside, Ronnie Appleseed is such a great name - or pseudonym, I'm guessing!)
What an interesting take on the theme. The second haiku is so vivid in contrasts.
I grew up in Yonkers NY and our Italian neighborhood was filled with pear, apple and fig trees along with many grape vines in almost everyones backyard. Your three fine haiku brought back many youthful memories.
So nice to read about Common Ground. Supporting these types of organizations and their work also help (indirectly) reduce our carbon footprints, too.
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