The Willow
New York, NY
2025, Senior, Poetry & Spoken Word
Along the Potomac, just past the stone bridge covered in algae,
I meandered, the willow weeps, its limbs
split by summer’s thunderous wind. I stood
under its shade, touching its pale bark—stripped skin.
But the other limbs, they still bend low enough
to cradle whoever pauses to slump into crook, to admire
its prodigious trunk as the lowest leaves tickle the back of my neck
each time I pass, dipping gently to sweep over
the silver-bubbled current, casting its arms
across the river’s babble. As summer palliated
into fall and geese arrowed through the sky, September
held damp from a week of storms–still, the willow
swayed, leaning in to listen like a mother, even
as leaves feathered the water. Below, gnarled systems
of roots weave into themselves like dark braids–quietly
insisting on survival as, all fall, the thinning willow
cast shadow and sun onto the asphalt. What else can it do
but wait for strands of sunlight to wane to storm?
The river keeps tearing at its base, a handful of osiers
yanking branch from branch. Still, the willow
asks not for stillness, only the right to nourish
its roots and survive long enough for light
to find it. To heal after being split–and can’t we
heal our world just the same? Even if its roots ache, if leaves
remember the hush of their own falling–the willow
bows, bends. The willow waits to heal with us.
Reflection
Reflection
“The Willow” came from a quiet afternoon by the river, when I noticed how willow trees fluidly move with the wind. I was inspired by how naturally it has evolved, allowing some branches to fall, some to sway with air and the image stayed with me. Its grounded presence reminded me of how in the face of disruption, nature continues to respond with grace and perseverance. Through this poem, I wanted to explore nature’s resilience and show how it is something both beautiful and active. The willow doesn’t resist wind, it patiently adapted to move with it. I hoped that people could learn from it. While nature continues to bend, we can’t continue to push its limits. We have a responsibility to reduce the damage we’ve caused from our overconsumption and neglect by taking part in its healing. Restoration is not one sided, it asks for our awareness, effort, and participation.