The Poet Tree

Way out, on what was a barren plain

A tree has taken root,

Over the spot where a poet’s lain

It bears the strangest fruit,

He wasn’t read while he lived and wrote,

Was neglected till he died,

But scribbled each verse like a private note

That he hugged to him in pride.

He lived in a garret, quite alone

And without a loving mate,

His heart would leap at each lovely girl

As she passed his garden gate,

But far too shy to invite them in

He could only sit and stare,

And think each time of what could have been

If he’d chanced to step out there.

But love still flowed from his poet’s pen

Though he had no-one to care,

He captured it from the universe

And he wrote it everywhere,

He left it piled in his gloomy den

When he took sick of the ride,

Turned his eyes to heaven again,

Gave up the ghost, and died.

They didn’t know what to do with it,

This love from a poet’s pen,

So placed it in the coffin with him

These shallow, heartless men,

Buried him out on a barren plain

Where nothing ever grew,

But marked the spot by planting there

A tree, namely, a Yew.

It’s twenty years since poetry was

Planted there, unread,

Alongside in the coffin with

The poet, newly dead,

But on the tree that proudly stands

With its roots entwined in love,

Each leaf reveals a verse or two

Fluttering from above.

David Lewis Paget

Reviews

[Jane Winters Rogers]

Oh My!!! I love this poem, I cried, what an inside view of a beautiful poets soul!! I just love it the depth of emotions they rocked my soul, I am in awe of your loving power....Never ever stop writing...the world is better because you remain here writing.....Thank you so much...

[Lena M. P.]

I absolutely loved this. A bit out of your normal realm but with still a bit of your eerie touches that make it so much you.

[Katie Lynn]

David this poem is absurdly beautiful...it really captures the essence of what it means to be a writer, regardless of your audience. To just put feelings into words...it's a daunting challenge, and you always perform flawlessly. Thank you, never stop writing my dearest friend.

[PhoenixDown]

Wow man.... Jeez. You just suck the energy out of me, like a gasp or grand applause would. This is amazing David. What a roller-coaster this was to read. For a brief moment, I felt as though I was just as trapped...

[Barbz]

The soft side of the Poet, Beautifully versed DLP, with love and sadness. Whether The Poet Tree is planted in a barren plain or a lush forest, it yields an umbrella of unparalleled emotion. You captured it in your solitude, I'm sure and you continue to prove to your readers that, as the Masters of the Pass, the Poet never dies. Keep your fire burning......Barbz