.WATCHING A TREE
As the fewer days of the month was soon to be
He would be there under the tree
Then he would pass the time away
There was scarcely anything he would say
He did not want to hear a lot of sound
Thoughts in his head would abound
He would express no hopes, nothing of a fear
I felt perhaps I knew what had brought him here
I understood that if I kept quite , I was okay
There being little he wanted to hear me say
The tree was White Oak
with a large spread of thick limbs and very old
It had known many hot days of Summer
and days that were cold
The yard was large and its size gave it a certain beauty
Enough space to allow for the welcome privacy
Even the birds stayed in the tree
Singing and showing no fear
a soft melody they would bring
Maybe hearing them sing
and being at peace was why I was here
Day after day here he just wanted to be
Alone…perhaps and only perhaps…. except for me ,
For long times at the tree he would stare
For the world he seemed unaware
It was just him and me
and the old huge Oak tree
He was as small and frail
and thin as could be
I had wondered how could a man be this way
I was told he was much bigger on a different day
He did not know my name
or really know me
As a small boy of six,
I was walking down the road by the tree
When, in the distance I could hear a man cry
That’s when I left the road
and quietly stopped by
He saw me and indicated it would be okay
Maybe some company would be good.
…for awhile today
By being quite e I was able to hear
Softly, ever so softly
I could lend an ear
Little by little the story
had become more clear
What a rocky and tortuous road
had brought him here
And I was able to understand
and realize
What had brought the fixed stare
to his eyes
Years and years
Of horror these eyes had seen
He would softly say
Once my friends had numbered
Among many men
The years of struggle
And subsisting on a diet so small
That nearly all with me
did not come back at all
Hunger is a mind numbing pain that strikes deep
it torments every waking hour of the day
and robs the deepest of sleep
and the agony stays…it won’t go away
our captors were merciless architects of terror
probing the limits a body and soul could bear
They got their glory from a flag
with a rising sun
They said smashing Pearl was glorious
and so much fun
You people are cowards
and full of fear
That’s why we have brought you here
You were not so bold
to meet a victory or die
Now we see you throw your hands up
and cry
Without glory
or any virtue could you save
We will bury your honor ,
and let the grass grow freely
around his grave
Death started its march on the first day ,
then all night, and throughout the next day
no sleep, nothing to drink nothing to eat
endlessly walking struggling in the heat
If a friend should fall
there was nothing
we could do
You could hear the screams
the bayonets would fall,
he was through
But then…
but then….
No more talk today
You see the check…
this is the day
The check… by now is on its way
The fifth day of the month
has come again
Time for me to stock the bin
For mama and me, I’ll buy enough to eat
Our monthly dues I will then meet
I’ll pay the landlord ,
I’ll stock the hoard
I just need enough for mama and me
and a little for electricity
Then no more of me for awhile will you see
For me then I’m totally free
Then I could be here or there
or anywhere
Where I go most persons wouldn’t dare
This freedom will fall
when someone makes the call
That brings a man in uniform
who works from the city hall
The jailer says
you’re really getting thin
I do terribly much hate
once more to run you in
Sometimes a busted lip
Or a loose tooth
is all I can show
But it is freedom
and
I am free you know
Then once again they will turn the door
and set me free
And I come back to be with my friend
And this old tree
In his old car
he would leave
I could see the tears fall
and hear his mama grieve
For weeks he was not
anywhere to be seen
Until time and fortune
would bring him to this tree again
I would come often
when he wasn’t there
I liked it here…….
I really did care
So many days
I would sit all alone
under the tree
on the bench of stone
Then one day
one would come by to say
What has happened
I just heard today
I hope this is something
that can be under stood
He’s now gone…..
…gone for good
You see God has extended for him
his loving arm
and no one can any longer
do him any harm
He is now free of all pain
and agony
where he has gone ,
there’s no more misery
I had known the day would come
he would always be gone
I knew he could die away from home
And sadly , leaving his mama all alone
And no one would care
For him in his casket to see
Except for this old gray headed mama
and me
I would miss him dearly …
and cherish the memory
Of time spent on the stone bench
under the old oak tree
