Bottle Tree Tales

Posted on January 20, 2020 by

Written for:  Sunday Muse #91
“Hello Sunday Muse folk! Fireblossom here with your weekly picture prompt. This week I’ve selected a bottle tree. In old southern tradition, hanging bottles from a tree is intended to catch or confuse negative spirits. They are said either to be caught inside the bottles and live there, or if blue bottles are used, these confuse the spirits into thinking it is water where they’ll drown or sky where they’ll lose their way. No matter which, bottle trees protect the person living there from negative influences.”

bottle tree

Now son, all you need
heed is this here advice
from your Daddy. Those
blue bottles will attract
the spirit of water, so’s
you’ll never be thirsty.
The green ones are lucky.
Fireflies get all up
inside them, and leave
gifts, so’s you’ll never
be poor. It’s them yellow
fellows you have to watch
out for. Wasps bore inside
them, hidin’, just awaitin’
to sting the hand
of anybody fool enough
to touch yellow bottles.
Now tomorrow, I’ll tell
you the tale of Cousin
Earl, and the red bottle
of sin.

http://thesundaymuse.blogspot.com/

About purplepeninportland

I am a freelance poet, born and bred in Brooklyn, New York. I live with my husband, John, and two charming rescue dogs–Marion Miller and Murphy. We spent eight lovely years in Portland, OR, but are now back in New York. My goal is to create and share poetry with others who write, or simply enjoy reading poetry. I hope to touch a nerve in you, and feel your sparks as well.
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12 Responses to Bottle Tree Tales

  1. Sherry Marr says:
    January 20, 2020 at 3:02 am

    Oh, this is clever….I love the meanings behind each of the colours.

    Like

  2. fireblossom32 says:
    January 20, 2020 at 5:19 pm

    Damn that Earl anyway! 😛 Not the “Hello, My Name Is Earl” Earl is it?

    Like

  3. Carrie V. H. says:
    January 20, 2020 at 5:34 pm

    I so love this Sara!! I would love to hear about what Earl did!

    Like

  4. Susie Clevenger says:
    January 21, 2020 at 10:03 pm

    Yes, I so adore this clever piece.

    Like

  5. susanstoo says:
    January 22, 2020 at 3:28 am

    Wonderful! i like that good and bad are both present–and that yellow is stingers. And I love the idea that the stories continue beyond the bounds of the poem.

    Like

  6. Helen L Dehner says:
    January 24, 2020 at 6:21 pm

    Well this is stellar! Every line, every word! I am laughing.

    Like

Comments are closed.