Poem a day, 6: September 6th 2010

Ivy cutting today. We
tore leaves away
from my mother’s tree
until we realised the shape
beneath the foliage
the extent of the ivy’s dependence
virus limbs
knotting around every promise of fruit.
When we were finished
the spine of the tree was astonished
like a hostage freed
after two years indoors.
We went down to the base
found the ivy’s parallel root
hairy and clinging
picked a section
sliced it top and bottom
tore it out
and presented it to the prisoner.
Perhaps what we were doing
was more than cutting. The two of us
taking away, to find
something huddled and waiting
for a blossom next year.
Secateurs and a hacksaw
for the ivy’s return.