On Palm - Poem #84

The children shout
We’re here! We’re here!
See their first palm
Florida’s border.

Bodies relaxing
under palm trees;
cooling breezes
Bora-Bora

Tall palms stand
outside of Baghdad
giving shade to weak and weary
drawing water from a well

tossing down the sheep skin bag
smiling when they hear the splash
water cold from in the earth
to slake a weak and weary thirst

A stranger in a stranger land
a soldier of the Western Empire
sits and watches weak and weary
camels, donkeys, palm trees, sand

while a Tampa palm he knows and loves
shades his momma in her yard
as she works and tends her garden
drawing water from a well

A donkey and a man approach;
a sudden breeze, the palm fronds clatter;
momma’s taking him to church
all dressed up in Sunday’s best

Soldier hears the high fronds chatter
as the palm trees wave and cheer
in his mind he hears “Hosanna!”
a man on a donkey drawing near

Soldier’s heard the song before
long ago and far away
remembers momma pinning palm
lovingly on his Sunday vest.

                                        .