by J. Estelle Newlin
Sat upon a fence.
His soul was full of sorrow,
In which he was serving Penance.
Under the split rail fence,
Grew a rosebush sporting a single blossom.
Basking happily in the sun,
Her beauty was quite awesome.
A single tear fell from the eye,
Of our poor melancholy Raven.
Hitting the rose in the face,
Suddenly she was awoken.
"Why are you so very sad?"
Asked our curious flower.
Startling our saddened Raven,
Who, of her presence he was not aware.
"I long for something I do not know"
Replied the saddened Raven.
"I long for love, and I yearn for comfort"
He called down to the flower's sunny haven.
"There is no one to love me either, dear sir"
Our flower did decree.
And the Raven suddenly was filled,
With a growing seed of intrigue.
To her side, he swooped down,
And they conversed the day away.
As night grew and the sun set,
The Rose asked him to stay.
The next morning, the Raven did awake,
To see his beautiful Flower.
And proclaimed love for her,
And together they spent every waking hour.
As the spring changed to summer,
Our rose began to wilt.
Even as her beauty faded away,
Their love they continued to build.
The Raven grew sad,
For his love was surely dying.
"You cannot leave me, I love you so!"
And again, he began crying.
"My love, the spring holds my life"
Said the fading beauty.
"I'll return again, the following spring",
"I promise, for without you I cannot be".
That night the rose's last petal fell,
And the season changed to fall.
The Raven sat on the fence in the rain,
In the snow, through it all.
The following spring,
Sat the Raven on the same split fence.
Waiting for his love to bloom,
Forever serving that penance.
(Copyright 2004 J. Estelle Newlin)