This poem was written by John Hansen originally posted in Hubpages in 2017. John has been writing poetry since his school days. He was awarded “Poet of the Year 2014” Hubby Awards and has had two poems become songs.
Long ago, atop a hill
There stood a lonesome tree.
Its trunk was thick and straight and strong,
Its boughs a shroud of leaves.
Within its awesome branches
Birds would build their nests.
Protected from both sun and rain,
Travellers stopped to rest.
Men fought wars, and children played
Beneath the shady boughs.
Lovers carved forget me nots,
And exchanged their wedding vows.
Years and decades rolled on by,
The seasons came and went.
The mighty tree still held its place,
Though its trunk grew gnarled and bent.
The tree stood tall through wind and rain
That lashed its leaves and bark.
As bush fires scorched its ancient trunk,
It towered alone and stark.
Then following just one such fire,
The hill looked black and dead.
But pushing through the charred remains,
A small root raised its head.
With Autumn rains the sapling grew,
Now tall and leafy green.
The lonely tree now shared its hill,
Its pleasure could be seen.
The gnarled bowed trunk soon creaked and moaned
Like a waking dinosaur.
Its twisted branches straightened up,
And touched the sky once more.
Do trees know love? We’ll never know,
but Sweetheart I love you,
Despite the stresses of our lives,
And pain that you’ve been through.
I’ve felt just like that ancient tree,
And know that you have too.
Please let me be your Valentine,
And share my hill with you.