Carnegie Gallery: Poem/Painting

Poem and Article by Wilma Seville.
For a number of years now, Carnegie Gallery in Dundas, Ontario has had a relationship with Tower Poetry Society.

Each year Tower poets who wish to, go out to Dundas and pick a painting which appeals to them and write a poem about it.

Here is one of them. (A friend of mine brought me in his car and we went looking for this willow tree in this area. You cannot get to it without a car as the bus does not run that way.)


Artist: Lynn Macintyre
Title: Dancing Willow
Poet: Wilma Seville


Side by side we stroll
along the trail at Coots
our eyes scan greenery
searching for “our” willow

Milk pods, wild grapes grow
blue daisy flowers smile
wild ferns dance in breeze
many willow trees abound

Years have come and gone
our memory not so sharp
we try to remember
where our lovely willow is



A tree frog hops in view
we pause and watch him jump
our cameras at the ready
he’ll be forever with us.

We trudge along rutted path
my cane searches for smooth ground
familiar and dear to us
our trail along Coutes Drive

Our dancing willow comes in view
to our immense delight
our tree gnarled and bent
yellowed leaves drop to ground

Beneath our dancing willow
we reminisce, content
remember days when we were young
and climbed our willow tree.

Our tree and us are older now
Yet still we dance in joy of life.