Saturday, February 17, 2007

Poem

No time to blog today! Too much stuff to do. I’m off until Wednesday, so I’ll post again soon.

One of the “stuffs” that I was doing, until this pesky blog went and interrupted me, was organizing bills, paperwork, junk, etc. in my little office. I came across an old poem my mom wrote in 1949 when she was sixteen. It was written right after her mother died suddenly (her father died when she was 6):

Old Age Childhood ©
By A.P.J
1949, age 16

I see a full, green, fir tree standing on a hill,
Sometimes swaying gently, sometimes standing still.
She looks out o’er the valley, a mighty queen who rules
All the family of trees, with kindness as her tools

She’s loved by all, that’s clearly seen,
Although her heart and theirs are green.
But looks are really not what count.
First look inside, then have your doubts

Sometimes I think a faithful friend is one who is unchanging then,
And will be, always, until the end.

Like a quiet, gentle, shady tree
Who spreads her arms to cover me
Whenever I am sad or blue,
She’d see my tears and then cry too.

This little fir tree is that to me,
My loving friend forever now until eternity.

The former dreams are almost gone,
My thoughts of trees are childhood song.
I have no friends save dearest mom –
She hardly breathes – Her life is gone.

And so I stand alone at last,
All is finished, this life’s weary task.

My old dear tree I think of not,
Nor care if she fades
or that her bark will rot,
Until the day I take a drive,
My last they say, before I die.

I pass that hill and see my tree old and still.
My eyes light up my heart grows warm,
Because she dies and we are born,
anew I think, but I know not where,
Heaven? Earth? To so I know or that I care,
Would not be true,
But together, old tree,
We die, I and you

Mom passed away on November 15, 2004 at 11:12p.m.
I remain her son

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

This brought tears to my eyes.

Such a beautiful poem. Thanks for sharing it.

Arlene said...

What a beautiful poem...I'm sorry she's gone...