A Stump

Summary

The website content is a reflective poetic piece titled "A Stump" by Jason Edmunds, which draws a parallel between the author's personal experience of a past injury and the feeling evoked by the sight of chopped trees.

Abstract

The poem "A Stump" by Jason Edmunds uses vivid imagery and sensory language to convey the author's empathetic connection with a felled tree. The author recalls the pain and trauma of a childhood arm injury, which left him unable to pursue his passion for table tennis. Despite the support and rehabilitation efforts, the author acknowledges the finality of his situation, drawing a metaphorical comparison to trees cut down because they are deemed to be in the way. The piece concludes with a writing prompt that invites readers to consider the symbolic messages that nature may hold for them personally.

Opinions

The author feels a deep, almost visceral connection between his own physical trauma and the act of trees being chopped down, suggesting a broader empathy for living things.
There is a sense of loss and resignation as the author reflects on his inability to continue his hobby due to his injury, yet he expresses gratitude for the support he received.
The author seems to critique the utilitarian approach to nature, where trees are removed simply because they are perceived as obstacles, by likening it to his own experience of being sidelined from his hobby.
The writing prompt at the end implies that the author believes nature has profound, individualized messages for people, which can be discovered through introspection and personal reflection.

No Future

Photo credit — the author

A step. Stop. A stump. Sit for a second. Sense with the tips of your fingers the Bark. Surprisingly, it feels alive.

Once, I had a spoke Piercing my elbow. When It was extracted, I heard How the metal was creaking in friction with a scabrous bone.

The very same notion I got when the workers were chopping the tree.

Cracks. Cramps. Crash. My elbow is in pain. Through the scars pressed out the sap or the tears.

A stump. Stuck. Stiff. Surrounded by sterile terrain that sensibly justifies amputations for naught.

When I was a teen, I broke my arm during the gym class. The trauma was really bad, and for a few years, I couldn’t feel my fingers, couldn’t write, and had to give up my table tennis hobby. I wasn’t expelled from the team, and my teacher invested a hell of a time to rehabilitate my arm by inventing new exercises. I was welcomed and loved, but I couldn’t compete; it made no sense to lose every single round. There was no drama on my side; I knew I had no future in this field. Even though my hand is still deformed, I feel happy to have it.

I don’t know why I developed this association, but whenever I see the trees chopped because they are “on the way,” I think, “You have no future here,” and feel the itchiness in my elbow.

Writing prompt: Does nature have a symbolic message for you? by Jason Edmunds

POETRY|WRITING PROMPT

A Stump

No Future

Cycle of Life

A poem and a writing prompt.