Willow

Willow

Here beneath the willow tree I stand,
His steady trunk rooted deep within the earth,
"But old friend I feel as though we are all turning to sand,
you and I both, our days are numbered."
"I remember when I first found you here,
your mother and I that late summer evening.
Just one of many we would share in our youth, when there was nothing to fear.
We sat at your feet breaking the hum of frogs with our laughter.
Time had no meaning and quickly left us,
Oh I remember how my father yelled that night.
I don't remember much, but your mother, she certainly caused a fuss.
But it was too late, I was in love."
"Remember the night of the storm? everyone thought we were lost.
We were just walking home like any other when it started to pour.
We ran straight under your branches as the wind tossed,
Your life sheltered us as we waited for it to let up.
The lightning began to bolt across the sky,
And the thunder clapped loud into our ears.
But as frightened as we were, we were still semi-dry.
And eventually there was a break, which we gladly took."
"You were with us nearly the whole way,
From the very first kiss when the poppies were in bloom,
Down to that time when she almost left me but I begged her to stay,
And to when I asked her if she would stay, stay until death do us part."
"We left you alone for a while, but I figured you wouldn't mind.
You met our son, born still and blue, but through our love we had created.
He wasn't much, but life has its ways and we knew your care was kind.
So we buried him here, beneath your sheltering ways.
Your mother took it hard as I know you remember,
But we still had each other and that was all that we needed."
"I never did thank you, for when she took refuge that cold night in December,
But you spared her for me, out of the blizzard where I could find her.
She told me she had gotten turned around,
So much snow she had lost her way,
But she found you, and knew that you held the blanket from the ground.
I never thanked you, but I found her freezing there that night."
"I don't know if you ever really knew it,
But your mother was the most beautiful woman I had ever met.
Some days we would come and visit you just to sit,
Just to stare into each other's eyes like nothing else mattered.
I would hold her hand in mine and feel her love,
My hand could never feel complete without hers there.
Her heart still beats loud in my ears, loud with her love."
"Friend, nothing lasts forever, but these memories will live as long as I do.
I never told you how she died, I was just waiting for today.
I walked in one afternoon when she didn't answer, and I found her collapsed in the kitchen.
I knew the time would come, but I still wasn't ready when God took her away.
She had dropped the dishes when she fell, face down, the doctor said it was a heart attack.
I guess her body was just too worn out, people don't last forever."
"A love like this is so rare in this world, my friend, it's just so hard to find,
But I found her, and if I could find her all over again I would.
That's why I buried her here, because I know your care is kind.
You were with us the whole way, and friend, you have my trust.
And although we stand here dying,
I have one final thing to ask of you,
Because there's nothing left in me, and I can't keep trying,
Remind your grandchildren that a moment of love is worth a thousand deaths,
And that a moment of death still leaves love to live on for one thousand more lives.