Late last night, an sms from a friend inspired me to once again, look with more than my eyes alone at something so magnificent in it's simplicity.
Salix babylonica... Say what??
Salix babylonica, more commonly known as The Weeping Willow.
There are some things in life that we have a natural affinity for, those things that please the senses without a conscious recognition of why? The smell of cut grass, the sound of running water, and the cool beckoning of deep shade on a warm day. The Weeping Willow's association with the tranquility of running water, it's forlorn appearance, drooping branches and wispy, light foliage is symbolic in so many ways of mourning and grief and has in the past, frequently been referred to in such context. Even the name itself, eludes to the River's of Babylon in the biblical context, where the exiled Hebrews sang "By the waters of Babylon, there we sat down and wept,
when we remembered Zion. On the willows there we hung up our lyres." (My apologies for eliciting spontaneous outbreaks of Boney M impersonations)
There are numerous poetic references but one such reference echoed the thoughts of a friend who called herself a Weeping Willow in a moment of grief. It contrasts the gloomy dark shade of the Cypress with with the light elegance of the Willow and in essence highlights the paradox of joy in our loss.
"The Cypress was long considered as the appropriate ornament of the cemetery; but its gloomy shade among the tombs, and its thick, heavy foliage of the darkest green, inspire only depressing thoughts, and present death under its most appalling image, whilst the Weeping Willow, on the contrary, rather conveys a picture of the grief felt for the loss of the departed than of the darkness of the grave. Its light and elegant foliage flows like the disheveled hair and graceful drapery of a sculptured mourner over a sepulchral urn, and conveys those soothing, though melancholy reflections that made the poet write--
"'Tis better to have lov'd and lost,
Than never to have lov'd at all.'"
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As much as the tree has been likened to forsaken love, the irony is that with the exception of the above mentioned biblical reference, all other references to the Weeping Willow in the bible are indicative of joy, abundance & fertility.
"Then he took of the seed of the land and planted it in fertile soil. He placed it beside abundant waters. He set it like a willow twig,"
(Ezekiel 17:5)
"Therefore the abundance they have gained and what they have laid up they carry away over the Brook of the Willows."
(Isaiah 15:7)
"They shall spring up among the grass like willows by flowing streams."
(Isaiah 44:4)
For those familiar with JK Rowling, her character in Harry Potter, the Whomping Willow even introduces a little attitude into our stereotypical view of the hunched, somber demeanor of the Willow, possibly offering us a glimpse into the strength that lies within.
For me the Weeping Willow is a symbol of humility, there is immense strength in apparent weakness. It has never been used for supporting structures or for railway sleepers, it is not an obnoxious tree that towers over the rest, in the words of an unknown author, "The weeping willow seeks a humble scene--some romantic footpath bridge, some quiet grave, which it half conceals, or some glassy pond, over which it hangs its streaming foliage."
However, the Willow has been used in more subtle yet equally, if not more important roles, from fish traps sustaining a families humble subsistence, to broom handles in service within the home to the source of so many people's hope and joy, musical instruments like the flute, not without it's own small amount of pride, cricketers have used it to the delight of thousands of spectators as they've slammed sixes out of the stadium in the final over of a cricket match. Few know that one of it's most humble testimonies is one of healing, as the first discovered source of salicylic acid, more commonly known as aspirin, it has brought relief to millions.
All this aside, to quote my friend "Tonight my heart feels like a weeping willow beside a cool humming stream. Weeping but so alive".
Salix babylonica represents all that is alive, in despair and grieving, we recognise just how alive we are, just how strong we are yet just how fragile life is, and we are humbled like the Weeping Willow beside the cool waters, to know that without those streams of living waters, we are nothing. Like the Weeping Willow, we should bow down, stooping to dip our entire being into the life giving waters, seeking sustenance. Like the Weeping Willow, we should point to the living waters and provide protection to all who seek our shade, as they themselves begin to quench their thirst in the streams of living waters.
Other references:
http://redslipperdiary.wordpress.com/2010/01/21/under-the-weeping-willow-tree/The Willow SongWeeping Willow Tree FactsWillow Bark
