The Richest Girl

She was the richest girl around, in terms of trees.

At three...

Back yard ancient flowering crab
Hummingbird home and honeybee brewery
Exposed heart breeding ground for gold and pearl luminescent mold

Front yard adolescent maple
Daddy's pride
Thrusting yards more skyward every year

Side yard baby chestnut twins
Uncle's gift to Mama
Fan-folded leaves sticky as little sister's jellied hands

Dutch elm towers over all
Ruby life-sap oozing slowly in summer's heat
Silver-frosted crown against topaz winter sky--regal, even in death

Jack pines fortify whitewashed brick farmhouse
Lone white pine sentinel guards the aged barn
Heirloom apples provision against siege hand's reach from front porch

Twinned mother plums among the irises
Bloom covered honeybee bliss in spring
Heavy-laden yellow jacket haven in summer

Graceful grandmother willow's long green hair
Shelters sisters' circle dance around the old hand pump
And conceals secret stair to the top of the world, or at least the Prairie Farm

Most-ancient grandfather oak
Arms spread to offer tender shade to his long fallen lover
Lately in service as jungle gym for gleeful wood sprites

Nosing every rod of the back thirty with sister wolf-dog
Maple, poplar, choke-cherry, pine, walnut, forgotten apple, sassafras, beech, oak
Too many trees to know

© 2001 NuMoon Creations
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