Five words for ash trees

I have been looking for writing about ash trees.

To be honest, there’s not a lot. There’s lots more about elm. Does the thought of a familiar tree going, unleash the words?

Ash Tree in field in the Upper Dove Valley

We’d like to find our words to celebrate our ash trees as they face the challenge of Ash Dieback Disease.

People have not always been very polite or kind about Ash. Foresters looking for good timber didn’t think much of it and called it a ‘weed tree’

Can you help us find words for our Buxton Ash trees? Go look at one (this is how to recognise it). Listen to it, what words do you hear? Send us something. Maybe five Ash words that we can weave into a poem or song about our Ash trees.

Send your ideas:

Twitter: @stoneandwater3 (please, #fiveashwords)

Facebook: @stoneandwater

If you turn your five words into a poem like the one below, it might be easier to message it to Stone and water on the facebook page or email it to stoneandwater@btinternet.com

My five Ash words (for today at least) are ‘magical’, ‘familiar’, ‘uplifting’, beautiful’ and ‘grey’. What are yours?

My five Ash words

‘Magical’ is a word for Ash.

Yggdrasil, the great world tree

holds the cosmos together

and the ash trees of Corbar

whisper in the evenings.

I think ‘beautiful’ of an Ash tree.

Graceful and slender,

dressed in lace, and dancing

alone or in a company.

I say Ash is ‘uplifting’.

I learned to know Ash

by the upcurved twigs,

Good to see in winter.

I would choose ‘familiar’

Around town, I see Ash trees

whenever I set my eyes to notice.

As unremarkable as family.

Ash is words of colour

Gold in autumn leaves

Deep matt black buds

Grey bark, green-pink flowers.

What are your words for Ash?

Or Ash’s words for you?

Write them, share them, at #fiveashwords

Words:

Susan Cross, August 2020

Images:

Bark and ash tree in field: c. Sarah Males 2020

Leaves and buds: c. Peter Phillipson, 2020