The Oak Tree

It was the window that knew me.

It’s cool glass never judging

The tears that fell from my eyes,

For it also seemed to cry.

The rain runs down the glass in a

Melancholic waterfall.

Whispering sweet sympathies

Before it too leaves me

Alone.

Alone with all these searing thoughts-

Racing through my aching mind,

Tearing at my sanity

Begging, pleading, coercing me

To let myself sink down

 Down

        Down into the deep

And to think, for all of that mess!

I blame a simple oak tree.

When I gaze out my window,

It stares back at me, taunting me.

Leaving, a painful memory

Of the one who got away.

Well, what do you want me to say?

Shall I lie and call him worthless?

Listen when my friends sigh and say,

“You can find joy some other day.”

But no, He was so beautiful.

Beautiful because he loved me,

Beautiful because of his smile,

Beautiful because every time

He looked at me, my heart

Started thump-thump-thumping wild.

We met when he was 13,

And I was 12 years old;

We sat under the old oak tree,

Huddling against the cold.

He told me his name was John,

I replied with “Eloise”,

And when he smiled at me so sweet

That oak became my favorite tree.

And so as the leaves grew in spring,

So grew my love for him,

And in turn his love for me.

During my 16th winter

On this lovely earth,

He gave me my very first kiss,

Unlocking a new world of warmth.

His lips were far, far gentler

Than the lazy summer breeze,

Oh and much, much softer

Than snow that tickled and teased.

From that point on, the oak was ours.

I planted daisies in the grass,

He hung a swing from a low branch,

Hiding while outside time still passed.

I couldn’t count how many days

I spent lounging in his arms

Under the ever changing leaves,

Come winter snow, or summer storm.

Every time I see the trunk

Tears come racing down my cheek;

For in a heart’s carved “J+E”

And there it stays eternally.

He carved it for me on the day

When the sun hid from the rain.

When complete, he dropped to one knee

Asking, “Eloise, marry me?”

My tears watered the flowers,

Filling them with joy and love,

As I leaped into my John’s arms,

Kissing him deep, becoming one.

In a whirlwind, I became his,

The two of us, laying in our bed

Whispering sweet promises

To love each other beyond death.

When the honey moon ended,

And we returned to our tree,

I let out a shocked cry,

When I found it had lost it’s leaves.

John sagged and ran to our oak,

I followed fast into his arms,

When I saw the daises wilted,

And the swing lost it’s sweet charm.

John held my hand, and kissed my cheek,

Sighing, “It still says J+E”.

He coughed once then took me inside,

One cough that I let fly by…

Little did I know he too would die.

He left a few months later,

In the midst of our peaceful sleep.

I woke to his arms once strong and nice

Now gone limp and cold around me.

At first, I couldn’t even cry.

I just stared out our- my-  window

To see the oak covered in white:

Pale like a winter ghost.

Now I’d lost the two creatures,

In this world, I had loved the most.

“How could you John?” I whispered,

Then cried, then screamed then yelled.

“Don’t you know that without you

My life is a living hell!”

That’s how my neighbor found me,

Sobbing, screaming at the dead.

She pulled me off John and I’s bed,

(Well, I suppose it’s only mine)

Took me to my kitchen for tea,

Then quickly called the police.

His death was no one’s fault, they said

It was a rare and fast disease,

And though they gave me all the facts,

All I could think of was our tree.

So now I sit in the dark,

Just longing to feel his hands

Come up and cover my eyes,

While he whisper’s soft “Surprise”.

When I close my eyes I can feel,

His lips still pressing against mine.

It makes me want to disappeared,

Then maybe I can find

The man who called me beautiful,

The man who ran out of time.

Tonight I walk out to our oak,

A rope hanging from my hand,

I smile and kiss our pretty tree,

Gazing one last time at this land.

I take a breath then sigh and say,

“I’m coming John, today’s the day.”

Reviews

[little thoughts]

wow beautiful. its seems like a fairy tale

[Lost in Wonderland]

Thank you very much

[Beccy]

Poignantly beautiful story poem. So well written I lost myself in the imagery.

Beccy.

[Lost in Wonderland]

Thank you so much:)
God bless

[Black Star Adept]

Very nice! I really liked the calm and smoothness about it

[Lost in Wonderland]

Thank you very much:)
God bless

[Benita-Staebell M - Kin..]

WOW amazing work here I simply loved this.


You made me cry this was so beautiful
and so heart wrenchingly sad I could feel the
strong feeling and emotion in this piece.



I fell in love with these stanza's lines.




It was the window that knew me.

It’s cool glass never judging

The tears that fell from my eyes,

For it also seemed to cry.


The rain runs down the glass in a

Melancholic waterfall.

Whispering sweet sympathies

Before it too leaves me

Alone.


Blessings. Kindred Poet

[Lost in Wonderland]

Thank you :)
God bless

[Benita-Staebell M - KindredPoet]

you're very welcome. it's my pleasure always. blessings. kindred poet

[escherflight]

Proper ballad conventions observed and you've sustained the rhyming pattern so well.

[Lost in Wonderland]

thank you for reading :)

[Audrey]

Simply amazing! The words are really simple, making it really easy to understand. I can't really put my admiration into words. It's truly a beautiful work!

[Lost in Wonderland]

Thank you so much Audrey :3
God Bless

[Mel Lisa]

oh my this was amazing and so sad:( almost like a Romeo and Juliet tale. And what a unique and clever way to put a poem into story form. lovely work!

[Lost in Wonderland]

Thank you :)

[Sam]

Wow, that was magnificent and romantic, but such a sad tale. And it reads so swiftly and smoothly. Well done.

[Lost in Wonderland]

Thank you very much:)

[A. Amos]

Each word perfectly describes the romance... I admire your skills.

[Lost in Wonderland]

Thank you, God bless

[A. Amos]

You're most welcome my friend