HOMAGE (to an old Oak)

On By Annika PerryIn poetry, The Fenland Black Oak Project, The Jubilee Oak Table, Travel, Writing
"My photo of the Jubilee Oak Table in Ely Cathedral. It is taken from one end and one can see the full length down. At the furthest end a group of visitors are gathered, touching the table, peering underneath, reading information leaflets. The table is set in the expanse of the cathedral with lofty stone arches all around."

HOMAGE (to an old Oak)

Beneath God’s arches resides the travelling table,
Its glistening onyx boards a contradiction.

After all, it should not be here,
how is it possible
after its 5000-year journey?

One fair day as the Stone Age drew to a close
an acorn took root amongst the giant oak forests
in the East Anglian Fenlands.

As the moon cast its ethereal light
upon the monumental 60-metre trees
the sapling flourished.

It joined the canopies of the other oaks
Shrouding the people beneath
Protecting, becoming part of their landscape.

This, the Jubilee Oak, was indestructible.
Until the world altered.
Until the sea levels rose.
Roots loosened, it crashed
To its airless grave.

Untouched for five millennia
Resting in the pitch black of peat
A preserver.
Untouched until the 21st Century,
When at last
Unearthed!

Fourteen metres of black oak
released from its shroud of earth
Fourteen metres of jet-black oak trunk
Survived, intact.

The magical fusion of the ground’s iron and
the tree’s tannins
creating the black in the oak
ensuring this holy grail of wood.

Experts consulted, advised and directed,
a sawmill from Canada flew to help
To saw on site
Ten perfect consecutive boards.

With the craft of carpentry
the combination of skill and passion
the unity of artistry and knowledge
ALL paid HOMAGE to the beloved Oak Tree

A table designed, boards planed and dried.
The Table for the Nation completed.

In majesty, it resides beneath God’s arches.

Now it is time to pay OUR respects.

In reverential silence, visitors gaze upon the table,
making a pilgrimage along its length
Then back up on the other side.

Fingers caressing the boards, eyes admiring the sheen
of darkness. A play of light and dark,
An incongruous anomaly in reality.

Now and then people bend down,
Admiring the copper sheath below,
Then up they appear,
once again walking along
tracing the winding mysterious curves of the boards

Sweeping curves mirroring
the expansive Fenland Landscape,
as sweeping as the sea that failed to devour it.

The black oak
Present
In all its glory.

©Annika Perry, June 2023

"A close-up of the table showing the beautiful patina of the wood."

Note: The above post was inspired by a visit to view the Jubilee Oak tree while it was in residency at Ely Cathedral, Cambridgeshire, UK. (It is currently at Rochester Cathedral, Kent.) The table was unveiled in honour of HM Queen Elizabeth II in 2022, the year of the Platinum Jubilee and hence its name.

The ancient oak trees grew to a height of 60 metres (197 feet) and dwarf oaks of today whose average height is about 20 metres (65 feet).

Read more about The Fenland Black Oak Project here.

"A cross-section of the table, showing the varying sheen of dark to light brown surface and highlighting the beautiful sweeping planed wood."

129 thoughts on “HOMAGE (to an old Oak)”

  1. How fabulous, Annika. Thank you for the amazing prose and showing this incredible table.

    Love the oak, love this post, learned something here today!

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    1. Resa, bless you for your wonderful comment and I am so happy that you are equally taken with this amazing oak and the incredible table. Your thoughts and words mean so much to me – thank you so much! xx

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  3. I love this poem and the story that inspired it. That is a beautiful table, and the wood is magnificent! Here in the US I have heard of loggers who bring up logs from the swamps and they are still intact since no oxygen was present to promote decay.

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    1. Dwight, thank you so much for your lovely comment! It is a wonder what one would imagine cause decay (the damp & wet) actually ends up protecting wood over the centuries. It must be a fine balance and this oak would have fallen with such force into the marshy fens which ensured the oxygen was expelled. Just imagine being the one to come across such a treasure!

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  4. Such a beautiful poem, Annika! And great information about oak trees – they truly are majestic. I just found your blog, thanks to The Spectacled Bean, and I’m looking forward to seeing more! I’ll read through some past posts and check your links too. Nice to meet you!

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    1. Michelle, lovely to see you here from Ally’s blog and thank you so much for your great comment! I enjoy research and the amazing table inspired the poem! Off to check out to your blog and some posts. 😀🌻

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    1. Jacquie, that’s a good question and it seems the planks are held together by a strong resin which allows the boards to be slightly apart and seem as if floating by themselves. I’m impressed you spotted the white sheen in the photos! Many thanks for your interest and lovely comment. X ❤️

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  7. Hi Annika,

    I am a little late reading here. I had made myself a note to return and read your post. I am glad I did.❤️

    I looked up “fenland.” A new word for me. I ‘almost’ take for granted the abundance of trees where I live. You have transported me to this black oak and its story, its history. Interesting how fingers are allowed to caress the boards.

    Exceptional post, Annika. You brought me right along with you, as only you can with your meticulous choice of words and descriptions. I read further via the link you shared along with more photos. Wow! I am sharing with my husband, since I know he will also find it fascinating. Thank you for sharing and paying homage to a priceless and unique old oak. ❤️ Erica

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    1. Erica, how sweet of you to ‘bookmark’ my post to read later – thank you so much! 🙏 I love that your husband was also interested in learning about the black oak and amazing table.

      The fens are quite particular to this area of England and at one time, as seen from my post, it was heavily forested albeit with oaks! It must have been glorious to live beneath their lofty canopies.

      It is fantastic that you felt transported by my words and it means so much to me that you felt my writing conveyed it just right! Immediately after the visit I started the poem but realised I wanted to include factual detail as well – so stepped back a while until I was ready to re-write and finish it! There was so much history, emotions and love of people in saving the oak and creation of the table – tricky to encapsulate in a few hundred words!

      Wishing you a lovely summer, my dear friend. Hugs xx 💕

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      1. Absolutely tricky to convey so much in few words. My husband found all of the information fascinating, too. Interesting about the Canadian connection. 🇨🇦Thank you for sharing all, Annika.😊 Enjoy our beautiful summer. 💕 Erica

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    1. Cindy, bless you for your lovely comment! 😃 You are so correct in that this is really a homage to the gifts of this oak! There was almost an ethereal atmosphere around the table – I’ve never experienced that by a piece of furniture before. A joy to share here and I wonder if t will have make it abroad as part of an exhibition – I hope so! Hugs xx ❤️

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    1. Janet, it must have been glorious to have lived amongst them! To get a sense of scale I looked at an oak tree in our local park and tried to imagine two more on top of that – and nearly fell over! 😃

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  10. Ah, yes, what a beautiful ode to the tree, to Mother Nature, to humans who appreciate the beauty of nature and hard wood and even the products made from Nature’s tree. Fabulous poem, my friend.

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    1. Pam, bless you for your wonderful comment! While many appreciated the the table and all it encompassed, just as you mention above, I was flabbergasted by those who only saw a piece of furniture. A wonderful visit and I feel like making another ‘pilgrimage’ to see it in its new location which luckily isn’t too far away. Hugs xx ❤️

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  11. What a beautiful poem and tribute to the wonders of this planet. An oak from the Stone Age! I love it when humans express their reverence for life on this planet. The table is something to marvel at. A lovely share, Annika.

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    1. Diana, thank you so much and it is a joy to see the wonder of the table, learn about the dedication of so many involved in its creation. I know, wood from a tree five thousand years old! It is mind-boggling and thankfully it was recognised for being such an extraordinary find! Hope you have / had a fabulous time in Chicago and look forward to reading all about it! Xx ❤️

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    1. Carol, I love the toast to the old oak at the end of your comment! 😀 It is amazing that it has gained new life, albeit as this astonishing table. I’m glad my post filled you with emotion and respect for the Jubilee Oak – exactly my sentiments and ones I hoped to convey here. xx

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  14. Mike's avatar Mike

    Another great post Annika. The ability, skills and cooperation required to create this marvellous table is amazing and restores one’s faith in human nature. Also the way you have chosen to write this post compliments the subject perfectly.

    Keep up the good work!

    Mike

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    1. Mike, thank you so much and I am so glad you enjoyed the post and yes, in a world of so much negative news the positive energy of so many working together over a decade deserves to be celebrated! I was slightly wary of using a poem for the tree’s story but somehow it was quite insistent! 😀

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    1. That would be quite something, Rose! 😀 I would love to visit and see the giant sequoia trees one day – and see they actually grow taller (up to 300 foot / 90 metres!)

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    1. Lauren, thank you so much! 🙏❤️ Initially, my emotions started the poem and then the historical elements were clambering to be included so it was fun to experiment and see whether both could be combined! It’s been a treat to share here and I’m smiling at the idea of ‘educating’! I hadn’t thought of it as such! Wishing you a lovely rest of Sunday xx

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  21. Daniel Kemp's avatar Daniel Kemp

    What a fantastic story. An incredible journey through time to become such a wonderful and appreciated work of art.

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    1. Thank you so much, Daniel! 🙏 The table’s journey is truly mind-boggling and one of the leaflets included a time table of events during the past five thousand years! Exactly, an incredible work of art and one that will be treasured and admired by many.

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    1. Robbie, I didn’t know anything about it either until the cathedral when the assistant mentioned a table and I honestly was not excited as just expected a normal table! It felt incredible to see this wonderful work of art and learn about its history!

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  23. What a beautiful poem to capture the amazing journey of the Jubilee Oak, Annika! The table is magnificent even seeing part of it. I’m sure it was marvelous to see it in person. Thank you very much for sharing this.

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    1. Bless, thank you so much, Miriam! I wanted to encapsulate so much within the poem, both the factual, the emotional and the absolute reverence of the visitors. It was fantastic to see in real life and I think the photos capture some of the wonder of it all! Xx

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    1. Debby, you’ve made my day! Picturesque prose within a poem! 😀Thank you so much! 😀 Just what I was hoping to achieve and written with reverence to the stunning table and incredible history of the oak tree.

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    1. Jo, your comment has me beaming away! Wow! I’ll remember that – ‘wizard of words’ – and love the thought of everyone spellbound around the table! Wishing you a lovely weekend! Xx ❤️

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      1. Thanks sweetheart 🤗🩵 It’s a little too hot here right now and we took our friends back to the airport this morning so I’m having an overdue lazy one 😅

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    1. Miriam, words are magical, aren’t they and I love that you could travel and ‘see’ the table through my poem here. Thank you so much for your lovely comment. Xx ❤️

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    1. Liz, it is fun learning new things, isn’t it and I was happy to be able to share about the Jubilee oak! I wasn’t too sure if a partly ’informative’ poem would work but this is the way it decided to be written! 😀 Sometimes us writers just have to follow the muse! Xx

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    1. Anne, it’s great you’ve been to Ely Cathedral and it never fails to awe me! Just being there was wonderful and to ‘stumble’ across this table almost felt surreal. When we visited it had been moved to the side as you can see. Previously it had been directly below the Octagon! So glad you liked the poem. X

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      1. The day we were at Ely, it was my turn for baby duty. John was inside with the girls and sitting very close to the choir. He was impressed that some of the men knew music and words from memory.

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  34. Mary Jo Malo's avatar Mary Jo Malo

    Absolutely fascinating history and understandable that you needed to wax poetic! History and nature in a poem just made my day. I shared/re-blogged it too. 🙂 All those lucky hands that get to touch it….

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    1. I know, I could not believe that we were allowed to touch it … wood from the tree last touched five thousand years ago! It’s mind-boggling! 😀It was fun mixing history and nature in a poem – not sure it would work at first! Mary Jo, I’m so glad you enjoyed my post and thank you so much for sharing! Xx ❤️

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    1. So true, Mary Ann! 😀 It was an incredible experience to see, feel the table and learn about its amazing history as well as the fantastic work and dedication of so many to create the table. Truly inspiring!

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      1. I have a love of wood and majestic trees. My father loved to make wooden furniture after his retirement. We have several treasured pieces and each one inscribed with the type of wood and finish plus his name under the word “artisan.” Family heirlooms. oxox

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    1. Lynette, I know! Think if someone has just thought it was an old tree and destroyed it! Doesn’t bear thinking about. It took over ten years from finding the black oak in the ground to this wonderful table – incredible work and dedication from so many people. It’s been a joy to share here and I love that it inspired me to pen this poem. X

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    1. Iris, thank you so much! It is great that the table is travelling around the country so that many can appreciate it in real life and I think it will also be used for some formal occasions! Just imagine dining at the table! X

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  40. What a wonderful tribute to the Mighty Oak… None more fitting than to be made into a magnificent table..
    I was in our Local Forest last Wednesday… saying hello again to another Mighty Oak.. The Major Oak in Sherwood Forest.
    The story about your oak tree, a remarkable set of circumstances that helped preserve it… And wonderfully crafted so others may enjoy..
    Thank you for sharing Annika xx ❤

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    1. Thank you so much, Sue – I am grateful that the Jubilee Oak inspired my poem! It was so odd as I’d never heard of it before and when they mentioned a table at the visitor’s centre I just expected to see a normal sized underwhelming piece of furniture. Oh, I was so wrong! 😀 It is an incredible find and the work to create this final table was a phenomenal piece of collaboration and expertise.

      Wow! The Major Oak in Sherwood looks amazing and how wonderful that you could pay homage in person to the actual tree. It definitely looks like it has lived for nearly a thousand years. Next time I’m in Nottingham I must go and say hello as well. Btw. How tragic with the events of the 13th in Notthingham; we we’re up there at the time and feel so saddened by it all. Wishing you all well. Xx ❤️

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    1. Ashen, I must admit that at first I was astonished people were touching the table and I looked around for signs saying this was not permissible. Nothing at all and oh, it was amazing to stroke its surface, thinking of its journey across thousands of years. Thank you so much for your lovely comment. Hope you are keeping well. xx

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      1. The holy grail of wood, indeed. I wonder if a cross section of the tree was preserved.
        I’m well, thanks. Just published ‘Shapers,’ the sequel to ‘Course of Mirrors,’ which felt like like releasing a child into the digital wilderness 🙂

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        1. Ashen, that’s a good question! From the pictures it looks as if they sawed through the whole length, alas.

          How exciting with the publication of your latest book and I wish you the best with its release into, yes, what can seem at times a digital wilderness. May you book grow quickly and find loving readers along the way.

          Btw. I just saw you’ve worked with the German New Wave Cinema! I studied this as part of my German degree and it was definitely one of my favourite elements. It must have been an amazing time for you. X

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          1. Wow, you did a German degree – a beautiful language, and my mother tongue. Volker Schlondorff and Margarete v Trotta were my patrons at the time, I did still photography for some of their films, and through word-of-mouth worked for other directors of the era. My name then was Heide Maria Weiss 🙂

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    1. Wow, thank you so much, Jacqui! 🙏 It’s one I started immediately after the visit and then had to leave for a while before returning to it and doing a massive re-write to get it just right!

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      1. My sister is cutting down a gorgeous old tree I used in one of my books. I am sad, but honored that the tree shared its worthy life with me. Yours is the same. I can see why that table travels around to different places.

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        1. It’s never easy having to cut down an old tree. Here in the UK we need to seek special permission – is that the same for you? Your tree will be remembered by you all and forever in your book.

          The table was designed so it is (relatively!) easy to transport and with flaps on each side to lower when needed.

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          1. No permission required if it’s on your land (which this one is–my sis owns an entire forest!). Interesting about that law for you.

            I was wondering how that huge table could be moved. The flaps make sense. I know it will never come here, but if it did, I’d visit it.

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    1. Ally, we were also amazed as we had no idea about the table when we went to visit the cathedral. As we bought the tickets we heard the sales person mention a table and to take a look – we imagined a normal dining table and imagine our gasp of surprise and awe when we came across this! It is very special and we are not far from Kent so might travel down to see it again!

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    1. Thank you so much, Joanna! 😀 It is sad that the trees were felled, however, this one was by natural causes – the force of its fall ensured it would be preserved. Of course, some of the giant oaks were cut down at the time for use by the Stone Age / Bronze Age people. They were adept at working the wood with flint.

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    1. Just what I’ve been thinking, Georgina! The landscape would have been so different. There is a park nearby with some big oaks in it and gazing up at them I was more than aware these are tiny compared to the giant oaks five thousand years ago! I’m so glad you liked the poem, Georgina – thank you!

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    1. Thank you so much, Brad! The poem started out purely based upon my emotions on seeing the table but I then wanted to bring its story into the poem as well. I’m glad it seems to have worked. Hope you are doing okay, Brad. Take care.

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