Leaves of Love

LEAVES OF LOVE

When you and I were ten years old, we made a vow of love,
In my backyard we counted, on a tree, all the leaves above,

And I told you that I loved you a little, for each leaf on that old tree,
As it towered high above us, spread full, majestically,

Its green arms reaching toward the sun, great roots planted in the ground,
A symbol of security and growth, sturdy, strong and so big around,

Its knothole eyes watched over us, and our love grew through the years,
I married you at twenty-one, ‘midst smiles and joyous tears,

We were the perfect couple, everyone thought it so,
Our first few years were perfect indeed, our love retained its glow,

But even perfect love like ours, sometimes goes astray,
Even a mighty tree can die, if not tended in the proper way,

I moved back home yesterday, a chill was in the air,
Summer always gives way to fall, somehow it’s just not fair,

I whiled away the lonely hours, closed up in my old room,
The solitude was welcome, not so the pressing gloom,

I found myself out back, in a yard once large to childish eyes,
Now grown small as I had aged, and I could not help but cry,

The wind of fall spoke volumes, as it whispered through the trees,
And at once I was reminded, of those long ago love leaves.

The ground about me was covered, with a carpet of withering brown,
Fallen leaves surrounded me, and more came drifting down,

I looked up then, at our special tree, expecting naked limbs,
Expecting to see our leaves of love had fallen, dead and grim,

But for some mysterious reason, our tree was lushly green,
The leaves of love were countless now, more than I’d ever seen,

I plucked one from a lower branch, and smiled a hopeful smile,
Our tree had weathered time and season, flourished all this while,

I rang your doorbell and waited, until you opened wide the door,
I handed you that single leaf, and promised millions more,

I watched your features soften, as tears slowly filled your eyes,
And I saw that you, too, understood, those leaves of love were still alive.

End

DMM