The Old Magnolia Tree

Even a little shining bud which lies sleeping behind its twig and dreaming of spring, perhaps half concealed by ice, is object enough. - Thoreau

meet me 'neath the pulchritude of the old magnolia tree

fetch your innocence

forget your burdens

bestow your truth

in a place where love curtsies to a spent youth

we'll rest on a soft bed of fragrant petals

we'll sip

we'll dance

we'll sing

no matter what you decide not to bring

meet me there

where four lips become one

where the sun is tethered and the moon is undone

with heaven's light in your spirit and platform shoes on your soul

it doesn't matter when or how

an undeniable eternity starts now

meet me there

where we'll have it made

in the cool of its blooming shade

meet me there

even if you don't know the words to sing

even if you don't bring a thing

you'll be my queen and i'll be your king

meet me where we don't need eyes to see

where we are wild and free

steal away and meet me

where the reason for our season is always spring

Author's Note

"Books of natural history make the most cheerful winter reading. I read in Audubon with a thrill of delight, when the snow covers the ground, of the magnolia, and the Florida keys, and their warm sea breezes; of the fence-rail, and the cotton-tree, and the migrations of the rice-bird; of the breaking up of winter in Labrador, and the melting of the snow on the forks of the Missouri; and owe an accession of health to these reminiscences of luxuriant nature." - Thoreau

Reviews

[Dave Brown]

Very enjoyable
That tree doesn't grow here which is our loss
Here, this all would have to take place neath a Maple or Cedar, which somehow doesn't seem anywhere near as romantic.
I can feel it all happening neath those boughs and petals
What better place for love to flourish
If you took it from a song, which seems to be quite popular lately, I don't recognize, but I like what you've done

[Pete]

hmm, doesn't cry in bc ey? a crying shame your loss - is a magnificent tree. all original words and thoughts - if there is a song, i'm not familiar with it. thanks for stopping by as always dave .. :)

[Pete]

oops, i meant doesn't grow not "cry" ... :)

[Dave Brown]

Last summer had them weep a few tears

[Pete]

droughts, fires, mother nature is really throwing it at us. last summer we had drought, this summer inundated. what gives ... :)

[Amber Stone]

this one just takes breaths away. masterfully done with simple human words. thank U Pete for sharing. sincerely, Amber.

[Pete]

thanks for appreciating the tree amber... :)

[LJW]

Where exactly is said magnolia tree? 😉

[Pete]

in the yard of someone in the town i grew up in. whenever i passed by it on my bike when it was in bloom i would be breathless - i was like damn what a cool tree. never forgot it to this day. childhood memories are the best aren't they ... :)

[LJW]

Yes, they surely are.