The Oak and the Rose

Once there stood a stately Oak
Its branches touched the sky
Beside it was a comely Rose
Planted on the Oak's North side

For years they grew in silence
No words did they speak
Both admired the other,
One fearful, the other meek

Through each passing of the seasons
Unrequited they remained
During the long cold Winter
They dreamt of seeing each other again

How long they lived this way
No one truly knows
They may have been silent forever
If it wasn't for the Rose

The lull was finally broken
When she spoke of the Spring rain
The Oak's branches shook intently
One word from her, his fear was slain

They talked of their desires
Of all their dreams and fears
Both mourned the coming of the Winter
Much, much more that year

They spoke every Spring to Autumn
Ecstatic in the love they found
They yearned for long embraces
But were rooted in the ground

You see, in Spring the South Wind came
And blew until the Fall
It pushed apart the Oak and Rose
They could not touch at all

As they slept the sleep of Winter
The frigid North Wind blew
And then the Rose could touch the Oak
Although neither of them knew

But Springtime once came early
And woke the Oak and Rose
The North Wind was just hiding
Then began to blow

It thrust them both together
Finally, they could brush
They relished every moment
The Oak trembled, the Rose, she blushed

When the breeze was over
Once again, they were apart
Now the thought of being separate
Broke both of their hearts

Agonizing their delimma
They just could not abide
To stand alone and never touch
The Oak and Rose both died

Reviews

[Kristallo]

I can't believe this hasn't gotten a review yet. This poem gets lovelier each time that I read it. The story between the Oak and the rose is one of waiting, yearning, and the briefest moments of happiness in seasonal tryst. I feel so much pity for the verdant lovers, throughout the ages they only had the briefest slices of time where they could touch before frigid winter made them sleep, or the winds pushed them apart. It's such a familiar story. Your words evoke such a torrent of emotion in me, from love and desire to a forlorn sense of lonesomeness. I wonder if the symbolism is what I think it is, or just a fantastical creation of my over-active imagination. Nonetheless, this piece is priceless and the story is an antique. I adore it! Great work.

[Corset]

This love story is so very tragic. I read it last night, but had to step away from it till was feeling able to review, must all your trees die in the end? Even so I guess nothing lasts forever especially when torn apart. What an excellent story teller you are!

[Deandra Dawn]

I love this...you did an awesome job. :)

[Angelic Surrender]

Beautiful, sad, romantic. This is a wonderful piece. Keep writing

[Claire's-Girl]

This feels so classic, and so romantic. I love that it was between the natural world rather than people but it gave much food for thought in its imagery. The use of the seasons to emphasize the longing between the oak and the rose was impressive, and something I particularly enjoyed. There's a lot of movement in this, and it's very well written.