The Acorns of Bartlett Park, by Rosaleen Lynch

Sydney Gardens Tree Weekender writing competition — this piece was selected by our volunteer judges as worthy to be included on a long list. Competition entrants were asked to write a poem or prose piece of 250 words or fewer on the theme of trees in parks and public gardens, as well as identify the local park or garden, the trees in which inspired them.

We play conkers with acorns because you once told me chestnuts were coughed up when the tree gets a chest infection like me, and the green spikes you break open to find the conker are like dried snot. You didn’t think I’d remember, but I did and now I tell my kids the same and they believe me.

We play tea party with acorns because you once told me they were fairy cups like coconuts with a saucer shell and if I was lucky I’d find one with a handle and that was all the luck I could have in a day and I would sleep well that night, and I did, because I believed you, and my children sleep well because they believe me.

We play puppets with acorns because you once told me all grown-up puppets once had acorns for heads like Pinocchio and we draw faces on the ones with caps and my children wear the seedless ones like little berets on their fingers with faces drawn, and believe like I did that each seed is gone to one day grow to be a real boy.

Today we play ‘talk to Gramps’ with acorns using the cap as an earphone and the seed as a mike and tell you of our games and how well your tree is growing, how your ashes makes the tree seem brighter, lovelier and more you, even though we all know the truth about acorns.

Bartlett Park, London E14 6LH

Rosaleen Lynch, an Irish community worker and writer in the East End of London can be found on Twitter @quotes_52 and 52Quotes.blogspot.com

Read other long listed pieces here. From 24 November, discover whether this piece made the shortlist — you can listen to it using the Echoes.xyz app either within or around Sydney Gardens in Bath or remotely.

Find out about all the events running on-line or in Sydney Gardens over the Tree Weekender on 27 & 28 November 2021, and look out especially for the Celebratory Finale Showcase at which the Competition winners and runners-up will be announced.

With special thanks to Dr Richard White and undergraduate students in Participatory Media at Bath Spa University for their support in making the geo-located audio pieces.