Much to the delight of Upper West Siders, someone has once again tied copies of a famous cherry tree poem to the flowering trees, fences, and park benches along a scenic stretch of Riverside Park just south of W. 95th Street this spring. The identity of the literary good samaritan seems to be a mystery.
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The three-stanza poem, “Loveliest of trees, the cherry now….” was written by British poet A. E. Housman. Copies seemingly magically appear in the park every spring as the boughs of the fruit trees start blossoming with fresh tufts of color. They’re printed on simple white paper, laminated to protect them from the weather.
The first stanza reads:
[perfectpullquote align=”full” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”#000000″ class=”” size=”16″] “Loveliest of trees, the cherry nowIs hung with bloom along the bough,
And stands about the woodland ride
Wearing white for Eastertide.” [/perfectpullquote]
“This is a thank you note. For many years I have been silently thankful to the anonymous person who hangs copies of the A.E. Housman poem, Loveliest of Trees, around the orchard in Riverside Park,” an admirer wrote on social media site NextDoor. “Everything about the gesture is thoughtful: the easily-readable but elegant font, the ribbons chosen for placement on trees and benches, the plastic sleeves for weather-protection, and the gentle nudge to the heart of the poem itself. Please thank this person for me and let them know that they do for me what ramps, robin redbreasts, and after-work sunsets do for others: welcome spring.”
Another local fan of the anonymous poem-hanger agreed, writing, “I feel like spring is truly here when the poems go up! One of those ‘I love New York so much’ moments.”
The poem is part of Housman’s “A Shropshire Lad” series of 63 poems he wrote in London in the late 19th century.
I have seen the woman putting up these laminated signs. Personally, I do not find them lovely. Some of us want to enjoy the beautiful blooming of nature without being distracted by someone’s editorializing. It’s a public space, yes, but one that should not be intruded on by individual’s signs. She has put these signs in multiple places the park, on trees and fences. Today, I tried to take a picture of a beautiful large blossoming tree in the lovely natural surroundings, but could not get a shot without the sign attached to the nearby fence by her. Can we just enjoy a little nature in the rare respite from intrusive city and modern life without being visually accosted?
In ancient woods, where shadows loom,
A vandal’s hand brings forth a gloom.
With heedless swipe and thoughtless blow,
A tree’s demise begins to show
Once proud and tall, it stood serene, l
Now scarred and marred, a tragic scene.
Its branches weep, its leaves now bare,
A testament to thoughtless dare
The forest mourns this senseless loss,
As nature weeps beneath the cross.
For every tree that falls to shame,
We lose a piece of earth’s grand frame.
A taped up note distracts a new
After all it’s their point of view
To tag a tree a breath of spring
Robs us all from our own dreaming.
The poster wants us to paste up “POST NO BILLS” on every tree???
Thank you, “Leave me my tree”!
Brilliantly and eloquently put.
I’m one of those who love the poem and love seeing it posted every spring. One of my springtime rituals is to visit the cherry tree at the park entrance at 91st street and read the poem out loud. I am grateful to the kind person who puts the poem up and consider them to be one of the treasures of the UWS. Last spring the poem wasn’t posted until a week or two into the blossom season, and I felt genuine alarm and grief that the poster had either fallen ill or died. I was very relieved when the poem made its belated appearance.
The story of the Cherry Tree Poem Samaritan feels like one that belongs in the NYT’s Metropolitan Diary section, and I have felt the same way, @Richard Friedman.
To those bothered by the sight of these poems, all I can say is the following:
1. Consider putting yourself in that woman’s (as the CTPS apparently is according to @Linda) shoes, where her motives seem only warm and welcoming.
2. When you take a photo with the little poem in the foreground, treat it as a reminder that it will hold a special place and meaning. Otherwise, that photo could be, well, everywhere. Even…SHUDDER…Brooklyn. 😉
3. The more you look at the world – including the little quirks – in a positive light, you’ll have a more positive mindset.
~ Long live the CTPS ~
(PS: I am NOT the CTPS.)