The Faithful Oak

Alan S Jeeves 1951 (Lancashire)



I planted out an oak tree
One hundred years ago;
I saw her fed and watered,
I watched her lithely grow.
I watched her through the winter wild
Frosted, frore and dark.
I watched her as the summer sunburn
Baked her golden bark.

My friend the ardent oak tree
Drew me by the hand;
Her strength an inspiration,
She taught me how to stand.
Amidst the savage blizzard
She learned to bow and bend;
Resisting stormful battles,
Triumphant in the end.

Now an aged oak tree,
Her wisdom with me resting,
She, towering tall, majestic
Withstanding nature's testing.
Her arms suffuse, embracing,
She beckoned me with pride;
I laid me down within her shroud
And neath her sanctum died

About this poem

The Faithful Oak' is from 2015 and tells the story of an oak tree and how it became the faithful companion of a, now old, man who planted it when he was a very young child. Hopefully it is a celebration of longevity. Oak trees live for ever ~ But not so little boys.

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Submitted by AlanSJeeves on June 21, 2021

Modified by AlanSJeeves on June 21, 2021

36 sec read
6

Quick analysis:

Scheme ABCBXDXD AEXECFXF AGXGGHXH
Closest metre Iambic trimeter
Characters 644
Words 119
Stanzas 3
Stanza Lengths 8, 8, 8

Alan S Jeeves

Alan S Jeeves is a Lancashire (England) born, Yorkshire based classical poet. more…

All Alan S Jeeves poems | Alan S Jeeves Books

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    "The Faithful Oak" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 29 Mar. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/103223/the-faithful-oak>.

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