The tree I'll never go near.

Amid shady thickets, 

behind my home,

a large pale tree lies dead.

Bare of bark, foul and mean,

I abhor its evil carcass. 

Years ago,

a man cutting it down

slipped and fell beneath it

killing him instantly. 

From that time forward,

people felt the tree was cursed, 

seeking reprisal. 

There are two names on it.

At age 16, in the throes of love, 

I carved them both.

I should have stayed away.

Robbie's name was separated 

from mine with the outline of 

an arrow embedded through a heart.

The wrath of that hateful fiend

took offense and swallowed our dreams.

Robbie had a baby face with hair

that dangled over his right eye.

He walked with a slight swagger

due to one leg slightly longer than

the other.

He died tragically at age 16 after 

being thrown from a car he was a 

passenger in.

Word was Robbie's heart bled out at 

the scene before help could arrive. 

Also dead were our good friends

John and Mike. Toxicology tests showed 

all three were drunk. 

John, who was driving, lost control 

and they hit a telephone pole. 

After being thrown, Robbie was 

impaled on a sharp tree branch 

beside it that (get this) was jutting out 

of a large oak like an arrow.

I have never gotten over the irony of that.

I blame myself. 

Worse yet, I feel Robbie's spirit

blames me too. I know the chills

I get are from him. He saw our

names on that tree before he died. 

He despises me for his death,

I know it.  

Robbie's mother claims she sees 

him in dreams. 

His face appears red and swollen.

He was my first love, but now

he haunts me. How could I have

been so foolish. 

No one despises that tree more than me.

My dog growls and pulls me away 

every time we get near it. 

I've often wondered what or who he sees.

Deep inside, I know.

The chill is unmistakable.

Reviews

[B. Boileau]

Clearly a haunting piece (pardon the pun). But more... it's dark and deeply moving at the same time. With a silblimnal message. A delightful read.
bill

[-inactive now-]

I love this poem! Particularly the dark tragic irony.Well done you clearly have a quite an awesome imagination and talent for storytelling- especially of this kind :)

[Cherry]

How kind, thank you.

[Solar]

Delightfully creepy - a bark that bit!

[Cherry]

Thank you.

[NeuroVersifier]

Holy f**k, I am speechless. Forgive my vulgarity, but this is dark, moving, and powerful.

[Cherry]

LOL thanks for reading it.

[iamshadowine]

this is such a good poem! :D

[Cherry]

Thank you. :D