TheLonelyTrees©2024TonyFallon620
Living overseas for my home village I have yearned
The memories started popping up since I'd returned
As we drove roads of my youth to temptation I couldn't yield
Without a word I parked the car and walked into the field
As I crossed the ten acres towards the lonely trees
I felt the warm sunshine and the promise of a breeze
They were five fine big shade oak trees planted in a line
On hot close summer days the stock would gladly recline
I wondered why they were planted if it was for shade
The one in the middle hit by lightning was decayed
The flash of lightning in a storm split the tree in halves
And took the lives of the farmers two fine young calves
In the warm days of summer in the mid day sun blaze
Often young lambs played in the shade while their mothers grazed
I wonder if they were commissioned by an English squire
Who wound up with some Irish land far away from Yorkshire
Did he ride around on a horse in fine English tweeds
Or was he conscious of his poor Irish tenants needs
I wonder during the famine were there cabins of sods
Which were torn down for rent money by the eviction squads
The field was part of an estate long before partition
That had been divided up by the Land Commission
In the spreading branches how many birds have nested
Beneath the shadow of leaves how many men have rested
A few feet up all of the trees had some shiny bark
I wonder how many cows had scratched there in the dark
Who were the lovers initials inscribed within a heart
Were they happy forever or did they sadly fall apart
Through the field to school and church there was right of way
On our way home from school we children often stopped to play
It would take a lot of plowing to have a grain crop
The five trees looked like ghosts in winter with no leaves on top.
The farmers son loved Gaelic football and his name was James
So we were allowed to use the field for our football games
Living overseas for my home village I have yearned
The memories started popping up since I've returned
As we drove roads of my youth to temptation I couldn't yield
Without a word I parked the car and walked into the field
The half hour in that lovely field for me was so good
My wife sat silent in the car I don't think she understood
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