The Tree We Grew To Love

At the bottom of our garden Standing for many many years Below seasonal greens and blossoms And all of natures tears This gem of harvesting joy Showered crops of richness grow For season after season When autumn came it showed It's fruits of life stood out Against the nature of each day And all who graced this marvel Were always said to say This tree from mother earth Has given year after year In rain, hail or shine In beautiful appear Again this year we were graced With baskets of apple gold But sadness cloaked our hearts For our tree would never grow old The first winter storm Spewed bolts of lightning blue Amidst the claps of thunder Was gone the tree we knew We were awoken in the night By creaks of deafening cry Looking out the window Brought tears to our eyes This marvel that we grew up with Was cut down in it's prime For nature had decided That this was not it's time The very next morning Amongst the devastation Was our tree of life Shattered, lay her creation Now many months have passed On this stump we have grown to love And recall that stormy night And that bolt from above