The Tiny Tree

The doorbell rang, I looked outside 
There stood a tiny child
Bundled warm from top to toe 
She stood in winter mild 

Curious I ope’ed the door
Wondering what she’d brought 
With luminous eyes she looked at me
And our gazes locked 

In moments brief she calmly spoke
Without an uttered word 
She read my soul of weighty grief 
Love flowing out from hers 

Then with shy and sweetened smile 
Her whispered words began 
“I brought a little tree for you
To watch life grow again”

To my knees I lowered down 
And opened wide my arms 
She fell against my trembling frame
Smiles crumpled as tears drowned

“My heart hurts so 
I miss him too 
I hope that this will do
Maybe watching this tree grow 
Will bring him here to you”

As days passed by, and seasons changed 
She often came to me
We shared stories of my son 
Our hopes, the things we’d see

And always with her luminous eyes 
Her gaze intensely keen 
She listened to my empty heart 
And filled it up again 

I’ll ne’er forget that tiny girl 
Her gift to me back when
Brief though our time together 
My heart began to mend 

Her tree grows still to this day 
Wide branches throwing shade 
It’s tall and strong, a resting spot
A hallowed place it’s made 

When e’er I sit there quietly 
Under rustling leaves 
Voices of my girl and son 
Laugh round me on the breeze