he wanted

HE WANTED

he wanted to
give her
something special

not just any
ordinary gift

so he built her
a house on a hill
facing east
& shaded
by a variety
of trees

just down the
sloping hill
he planted her
an orchard

he began in the center
& planted a cherry tree

not just any cherry tree
but one from his
childhood memories

a tree that bore
yellow cherries
for many years
even though
its trunk had been
split in half
by lightning

so he asked the spirits
he believed in
to split this tree
he had just planted
by lightning
just as the tree
from his memories
had been

& the spirits
blessed this tree
as he had asked
them to do

then he planted
red cherry trees
apple & orange trees
peach trees
then circled the orchard
with pear trees

her favorite fruit

below the house
& orchard
he filled a
green meadow
with wildflowers

he broke off a large
chunk of his heart
& sprinkled it
throughout
this meadow
of green grass &
wildflowers

knowing the spring rains
would make his love
for only her
blossom & grow

but she was displeased
with his efforts
with unfounded
jealousy
& burned it all down
with a fury
beyond belief

& when the smoke
had drifted away
with the winds

his love for her
died because the
spring rains came
too late.

F.N. Wright