To the New Mercer Oak

 
Last night I dreamt of you,
       little oak.
In my dream you were
     huge
and old,
your branches were 
      entwined
and reached to 
an incredible                    distance.
Your foliage
          had become
red and beautiful.

And though you
         were older
and larger,
      I was still
     young
and handsome.

I stood in your
          shade
     and gazed
upon your towering
      majesty.

And when I turned,
 there stood Beth,
small,
   and beautiful,
and smiling.

In an instant
   she ran
 and I gave chase
running, running
     around your base.
we encircled,
     and enveloped,
and entranced.

And how I 
 wished to catch her!
But how I 
loved the chase.
  So we stayed there,
running, running
 our circles around your base.

We ran like children,
and played like children, 
and laughed like children.
We ran our
     little lovers' race.

We ran within
     your shadow, 
our little lovers' race.
In an instant 
      she stopped
and the Sun's light caught her face.

I took her hand in mine,
   with my other on her waist,
we stayed there
   dancing, dancing
a little waltz 
   around your base. 

We danced for hours
      hours,
showing little hints of grace.
 Then out lovers' waltz
     evolved
into a stationary embrace.

But, little oak,
      you kept dancing
while we stood in place.
 The world
      dipped,
and pirouetted,
      spinnig circles
 around our legs.

I rode past you 
    this morning
little oak.
   I flipped you a smile
and a wink.
     Yet I long to see 
you old,
 little oak,
 with her
still by my side.

A Story About the New Mercer Oak

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