ALLEGORY Poem: Elysium, by Michael Justice

Can you see
A little tree
Somewhere by the water
Oh, a pond or creek
I mean, that’s important later
But this tree, you see
Is a special thing
At least, I like to think
That it has a story
For us to share
Sometime along the way
About how its branches
Grasp at the sky
White, little flowers and
Sharp green leaves cut
And twisting against the
White and blue
Of the sky
And like the sky
Does often fall
So too, do the petals
Drift slowly down
To rest upon the
Grass and stone
Now the grass
It may be tall, or
Depending, kept a little short
Like the tree
But still, it’s there and grows
Ever presently beside the stone
Although, the stone itself
Well, that does not grow
But petals and moss
Find the grooves of the way
The stone is shaped
Shaped or made, well
Who’s to say since we
Can’t see what they say
But down the hill–
Oh, I forgot
About the hill–
Well, can you see
The tree upon a hill
Where the petals drift
All around and find a way
To rest upon the pond
Oh, there it is, the water
Just below the hill
Where the ducks sit
Just beside the petals
I’m sorry it’s not a creek
But not every part
Of what I say
May be, as we’ll see
All that true, trust me
Beacause what stones
Below a tree, covered in moss
Do you often see
But looking at
The ducks and the tree
I wonder really
To be free
Must we go
For paradise to
Finally be seen

Author: poetryfest

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