The tree stood hundreds of years undisturbed
Deep in the Hertfordshire wood
Old and gnarled its trunk was wide
Waiting for something good

A young child walking discovered this spot
Secret to the outside chase
And stared a long while at this ancient tree
And a hole near the base

The child climbed inside though cramped
Into a chamber no harm
Alive with secret lights in the wood
Offering comfort and calm

The hole shrunk in size to the size of a fist
And the child cried wild
But a voice calmly spoke in the head
Do not fear me child

I offer you immortal life free from care or pain
You offer me something good
Cleansing my old twisted roots and trunk
Unadulterated, innocent food

No cried the child, this is wrong you are bad
I am not at all for your food
You must free me or the woodsman’s axe
Will cut you down real good

Those words stung the tree, it had misjudged the child
How could it get it so wrong
These humans are strange suffering all of their pain
And their lives not at all so long

The hole grew in size and the tree spat the child
The child turned a face
And stared a long while at this ancient tree
And a hole near the base

The tree stood hundreds of years more undisturbed
Deep in the Hertfordshire wood
Old and gnarled its trunk was wide
Waiting for something good. 

February 26, 2006

The Week of February 26, 2006    
A Circle of Wind by Philip G. Bell     
A Gift of Snow by Philip G. Bell 
A Private Place by Philip G. Bell  
A Strange Tale by Philip G. Bell
A Valentine Song by Vibiesh   
Action by Sugandha Indulkar     
An Elegy to a Family House by Dr. Ram Mehta
Butterfly Kiss by Philip G. Bell  
Celebrating Motherhood by Lata Mishra 
Crazy Farm by Philip G. Bell  
Devilish Seeds by Dean Morris  
Farewell by Naiyer Mallick  
Goodbye by Annu Chopra  
In Sight of Table Mountain by Philip G. Bell 
Love by Sandhya Santoshkumar  
Mississippi Maude by Philip G. Bell 
October Nights by Philip G. Bell 
Paradoxical Paradigms by Dr Uma Asopa 
Poetess Unremembered by Soma Mukherjee  
Profile of an Old Shoe by Sonam Bhutia  
Silently Expressive! by Harihar Rai Jha  
Soil of New Orleans by Vasanta Athilat 
Soul Mate by Suniti Chandra Mishra  
The Church Bell by Vibiesh  
Time for Love by Sreenivasan  
Villanelle on Masks by Shernaz Wadia 

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