Outside My Window, There’s a Tree #WordsMatter

Aug 3, 2019 | Poetry

Outside my window, there’s a tree.
Inside, looking out, there’s me.
Windchimes beckon, “Come outside!
Don’t stay behind the glass and hide.”

Squirrels chase each other up the branches
Leaves and nuts like avalanches
Fall between the roots, where squirrels
Hide their precious, tasty pearls.

OR, they chuck them at my head!
When near “their” tree, I dare to tread.
And chittering, they run to hide – OR
Scold from on high, with a mouse’s roar.

I wonder: Would I rather be the tree?
No, playful, silly squirrel – that’s me!
I’d climb so high, I’d gaze in wonder –
Drink raindrops, shake my tiny fist at thunder!

I’d scold the neighbor’s prowling, yowling cat –
What would the flustered robin think of THAT?
She’d knight me, like some Empress of old
And tell the wrens my story must be told.

“Inside that window, there’s a girl
Who thinks herself a silly squirrel
One day, we’ll turn that knob and go inside
And drink our acorn coffee by her side.”

Just a glimpse outside my window and a silly little poem, composed over coffee while sitting on my back porch, listening to the chatter of squirrels, mourning doves, and cicadas. How could I resist the lure of the windchimes?


Welcome to #WordsMatter – A monthly Blog Hop on the first weekend of each month (this month on Aug 2-4).

Next up: Be sure to read today’s post by Keerthi Vydyula at Thoughts Thru Lens. Also, be sure to read the post before mine, at Fantastic Feathers.

Holly Jahangiri

Holly Jahangiri is the author of Trockle, illustrated by Jordan Vinyard; A Puppy, Not a Guppy, illustrated by Ryan Shaw; and the newest release: A New Leaf for Lyle, illustrated by Carrie Salazar. She draws inspiration from her family, from her own childhood adventures (some of which only happened in her overactive imagination), and from readers both young and young-at-heart. She lives in Houston, Texas, with her husband, J.J., whose love and encouragement make writing books twice the fun.

42 Comments

  1. DoD

    As always, I enjoy reading your writings very much.

    Reply
    • Holly Jahangiri

      Thank you! 🙂 I enjoy it when you come all the way over here and leave me a comment, too. <3 Thanks, Dad.

      Reply
  2. Luv

    And listen to the sound of silence 😊

    Reply
    • Holly Jahangiri

      If you really listen, there’s no silence.

      Reply
      • Luv

        Perhaps then, the sound of peace and nature.

        There was a time when I used to wake up with the song of nightingale (or cuckoo?) early in the morning. Jogging down the boulevard, I really never needed music player vacuumed to my ears (well, I didn’t have music player in those time as well). They sang for me and I sang with them.

        Everything is gone now. It’s a surreal dream. I won’t believe I ever lived those days.

        Sound of the nature.

        Reply
      • Luv

        Oh well, yes, I captured that little girl trying to be squirrel and frolicking in the trees. And I try to picture that sitting behind that window screen with my green tea 😊

        Reply
        • Holly Jahangiri

          Can you see my little friend? One of them, anyway. There are so many. I’m not exactly sure why we think squirrels are adorable, but loathe rats. What’s the difference, really? Other than bushy tails.
          Squirrel!
          I wish I could race up and down the branches like they do!

          Reply
  3. Keerthi Vydyula

    It is a lovely read. I loved the analogy you chose. Well, we all need that naughty self once in a while to keep the life interesting. I am going to read this lovely piece of poetry again now! Absolutely loved it!

    Reply
  4. PraGun

    You have woven a nice poem over coffee withThe nature near you, outside the window along with windchimes melodious sounds.

    Reply
  5. Kala Ravi

    What a delightful poem that was! It brought out the mischievous, dreamy child in you! Looking outside the window does bring out so many fleeting thoughts in our minds!

    Reply
    • Holly Jahangiri

      Sometimes, the gazing out leads to GOING out. 🙂 It was lovely.

      Reply
  6. Anamika Agnihotri

    Your painting of the tree is beautiful and so is this tryst with poetry over the coffee. Reading the poem, I visualized myself as the tree first, then the squirrels, the cat, the robin, all of them. It is an amazing world out there in nature. Acorn coffee must be a good coffee, I suppose 🙂

    Reply
    • Holly Jahangiri

      Thank you, Anamika. I’m not so sure about acorn coffee – I’ve tasted acorn, and it’s not something I need to repeat. Maybe that was my first clue that I was not a squirrel. My dad was fibbing when he said it was poisonous. Or I didn’t nibble ENOUGH to harm me, at all! (I didn’t intend to, mind you – just a kid living dangerously, curious what the squirrels and chipmunks saw in the stuff. A friend and I also once tasted every flavor from a variety pack of Milk Bone dog biscuits, reasoning that we ought to know if we were feeding something nasty to our dogs. Well – let’s just say I’d rather eat another Milk Bone than another acorn, but I’d RATHER not do either one!)

      Reply
  7. Suzy

    Enjoyed your poem – made me chuckle especially the squirrels. Nice art too.

    dropping by from the bloghop

    Reply
    • Holly Jahangiri

      Thank you, Suzy! I’m very much an amateur at the art, but I do like oil painting – so far, it’s very…forgiving.

      Reply
  8. Unishta

    How lovely to have coffee with squirrels for company!

    Reply
    • Holly Jahangiri

      I’d rather have had you for company, but sharing this with you was the next best thing!

      Reply
  9. Obsessivemom

    That’s such a sweet little poem. I was right there with the squirrel you scampering along the branches of that beautiful tree with the sound of windchimes for company.

    Reply
  10. Mahati ramya adivishnu

    That’s nice to read a poem written from the perspective of the squirrel. Nice painting too.

    Reply
    • Holly Jahangiri

      🙂 Thank you! Both were fun to do. The painting isn’t finished, really. But oils are an exercise in patience.

      Reply
  11. Anami

    What a lovely scene outside the window and how beautifully you described it.

    Reply
  12. Shalini

    I loved reading you so very much, I tell you! Loved the first part where you wanted to be a squirrel and then your thoughts after being one. It’s so beautiful! Thank you for participating in the bloghop. Hope you are having fun!

    Reply
  13. Suha Vijay

    Nice art and nice thoughts after becoming a squirrel. Loved your poem

    Reply
    • Holly Jahangiri

      Depends. I find some chimes very annoying! I prefer clear, deep notes – so I have to get fairly large chimes that don’t constantly make noise in the slightest breeze! (I recently saw some that are too big to be mounted anywhere in or outside my home, though! The tubes themselves had to have been 9-10′ tall!) These are mine:
      Wind chimes

      Reply
  14. Leo

    What beautiful rhythm to your verse 🙂 Loved it. It brought a picture to mind.

    Reply
  15. Sunita Saldhana

    That was lovely! You have captured the essence of the squirrels so well. Acorn coffee! Keep some for me !

    Reply
  16. Jyothi

    That is a lovely painting of a lovely view from your window. I really loved the liveliness in your poem. It is so refreshing. It made me smile. Coming in from the blog hop.

    Reply
    • Holly Jahangiri

      Thank you, Jyothi! This is about my third attempt at painting with oils. It’s not really finished. I was surprised, when I took the picture, how close I got to the shape of the tree and the view from the window. I think I like this medium (it’s very forgiving and so slow to dry that it teaches patience.) I’m glad you enjoyed the post!

      Reply
  17. Rajlakshmi

    I loved the imagery of shaking tiny fist at thunder. It’s so cute. Loved the smooth rhymes. Wonderful take on the prompt.

    Reply
    • Holly Jahangiri

      I did, too. It just popped into my head, but it’s so ME – and now I wish I had an illustration of that tiny, courageous squirrel, shaking her little fist at the thunder. I wish I could draw! I think up illustrations all the time, but can’t bring them to life other than through words. I’m glad you saw what I saw!

      Reply
  18. Parul Thakur

    What a happy one this was, Holly! I loved that painting and the picture of your window that the squirrels you painted in my mind. I love squirrels. I also enjoyed how you turned the poem inward at the end.
    Go glad you joined #WordsMatter. We are so grateful that you posted this and we got a glimpse of your life too.

    Reply
    • Holly Jahangiri

      Thank you, Parul! 🙂 I’ll continue the serial fiction when I’m feeling less like the silly squirrel.

      Reply

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  1. A Morning Bath #WordsMatter #WhenItRains » A Fresh Perspective -
    […] that silly squirrel! He preens – Peering through the window-screens and making funny […]

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