Missed Dearly… Poem by Theresa Ann Moore

A graying stump remains on our vacant lawn
A remnant of a once flourishing shad tree
Many years were filled with serene pleasure…
Excluding the time a storm ripped a bough free

When age created a rotten hole in a large sawed limb
Homeless birds thought it was a great place to nest
Playful squirrels ventured onto extending branches
Testing strength and suppleness…they were impressed

Plentiful leaves blocked the curiosity of peering eyes
And gave shelter from the scorching summer heat
Roots ran deep… keeping a firm trunk standing proud
The tree sustained the greenness of grass beneath

In its absence we see an entire neighborhood block
We can hear the talk across the street more clearly
We see people come and go…they in turn gawk
Since our tree has been removed…we miss it dearly

9/2/09