Tree 16 - The Siva Linga Tree Poem by Geeta Radhakrishna Menon
Tree 16 - The Siva Linga Tree
While I walked on a street in Mumbai,
Few furlongs away from my house,
Full of people walking and hurrying,
Full of vehicles speeding down the road,
I wished,
I was walking,
On a meadow with green grass,
Or a hill full of dainty flowers!
Life is not about what we wish,
Life is about finding joy,
In the joyousness of life itself,
In, around and about us,
With a keen eye for beauty
Within and reflected outside too. But,
Life is mysterious! Just when you think of
Something beautiful! You see it before you!
Suddenly, I saw a very fascinating tree
So full of exotic, beautiful flowers,
Standing by this busy roadside.
A very unusual tree!
A rare flowering tree!
I stopped walking
And stood staring at this beautiful tree.
I was convinced there was a story behind it.
I was surprised to know that this
Interesting tree was named after Siva.
‘Siva Linga', ‘Naga Linga' or ‘Mallikarjuna'
All names of Siva - The Cosmic Dancer!
As a dancer who worships Siva
The revelation came as a thrilling joy!
The tree was worshipped and revered by
The Siva devotees for over thousand years.
Identified as the Cannon ball tree,
It is over thirty to fifty feet in height.
The flowers, buds and the fruit of
This tropical tree, grows directly from
The trunk, in the form of long, slender stalks,
Gracefully curling and embracing the trunk.
Green leaves oblong, obovate or elliptic shaped
Guarding a gorgeous inflorescence!
Scarlet coloured flowers with fertile stamens, so exotic!
The pink, orange shaded petals curving inwards,
So mystical, like the hood of a serpent!
The florescence exudes fragrance.
So strong, while the fruits soft and fleshy, mature
Into larges spherical woody embryo with numerous seeds.
How strange! I discovered this tree on a crowded city roadside,
Alas! I have never seen this tree beside a Siva temple, so far,
The tree is called Cannon ball tree, named locally, as the Siva linga tree. The botanical name for this inflorescence is ‘Couroupita Guianesis'
(2) It reflects your keen interest not only as an observer but also as a student with a scientific temperament plus the inclination of a true devotee of Lord Siva. This reads like a research paper on the subject. Thanks, Geeta ji. Life is about finding joy / In, around and about us, With a keen eye for beauty / Within and reflected outside too.
As a person who is fascinated by trees, this poem strikes a chord with me. How sometimes a sight holds our attention and fills an ordinary day with meaning and substance. A tree standing beside a busy road might be ignored by most passers-by but the poetic imagination is quick to respond to nature. Trees are not merely trees, they are symbols of divinity. Their existence means more than meets the eye. Beautiful ink.
Your description of this tree was so well-done that I " saw" it before I arrived at the picture of it! ! ! ! ! That is excellent writing to be able to achieve such a feat! ! Beauty! ! ! I am of an age that I no longer have to hurry here and there- -I can mosey and it is remarkable how many beautiful things can be seen! ! ! ! 10+++++++++++++ on a lovely thought provoking poem! ! ! ! ! !
This tree is there in my Alma mater! It is a unique tree with ball like fruits and lovely flowers. The large spherical fruits are something that would catch anyone's attention! In our place it is called Naga (snake) tree.... may be because the twisted labyrinth of stalks around the trunk remind one of snakes. However, it is quite unusual to find such a tree in a sprawling metropolis like Mumbai! A lovely poem!
I saw a very fascinating tree So full of exotic, beautiful flowers, Standing by this busy roadside. A very unusual tree! A rare flowering tree! I stopped walking how in MUMBAI BOMBAY AS I KNOW IT U FOUND A TREE THERE I SAW ONLY SEA NONETHE LESS LOVELY TREE SHIVALINGAM MY WHAT A NAME
From this poem readers can know about the Siva Linga tree or Cannon ball tree or Couroupita Guianesis'. You have so clearly and astutely portrayed this poem which is so interesting to read. Thanks for sharing this poem with us.
hi, geeta! i'm glad you included a picture. how unusual—flowers growing right from the trunk! this is the kind of sight that would be arresting to me as well. hoping you're well, glen
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem
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5/6/2024 3:16:46 PM # 1.0.0.1119
(1) A look at the picture of the tree above and a reading of the Poet's Notes gives us a preliminary knowledge about the tree. Further on, as the poem progresses, we get an idea of the topography of the area where the tree is located.