Below is a poem about the Tattenham Corner Tree
The Tattenham Tree
I am a once a year tree,
grown especially
to bring laughter and joy as pretty trinkets are hung on my branches.
I see my colourful lights sparkle in your eyes as you look on me
with excitement and happiness.
I grew tall and straight and strong,
my arms stretched out to welcome
the season of warm celebration,
despite the cold dark days of winter.
But like many things, that season has passed.
I still stand tall
but am stripped bare,
my branches gone.
I feel lost without them,
lost and cold and afraid.
This has never happened to me before.
I don’t know how to be.
I don’t know who I am.
What kind of tree do you need me to be?
Our Christmas tree here at Tattenham Corner has now been stripped of all its lights, decorations and even its branches. Many of us have been stripped bare this year too. COVID 19 has robbed all of us of something. Some have paid the ultimate price and lost loved ones. We are so sorry and stand with you in your sadness. Others have lost time spent with loved ones, time we’ll never get back. For others your livelihood, your dreams, your education ... it is a time of loss for us all.
We too, may feel lost, cold and afraid. We may feel we don’t know who we are if we have lost the role of husband, wife, mother, father, son, daughter, friend, carer, lover, work colleague etc. It is a hard time.
If you would like to, you may use the tree to hang messages on. You may like to write a message to mark the love and loss of someone. You may want to write something about what you have lost and feel pain, even anger, about. You may want to write a message of hope and encouragement.
This tree will accept and hold all your messages.