The Apprentice, Edmund, went to see
something unlike any other, a tree
which was called the Tree Of True Love,
which can be inferred from the words above
to be a magical tree that can tell you, too,
if who you are chasing is a love that is true.
Along its trunk are many knotted places,
but none more so than around the two faces
of a man and a woman who move within the tree
to show couples if they are meant to be.
If a couple truly belongs together in life
then the faces cuddle close, like husband and wife,
and the branches blossom full and bright
with pretty little petals of pink and white;
but if they do not, the tree lets them know
as the faces turn away from each other to show
what will happen if they continue together
and try to fare far fouler weather:
the tree sheds its blossoms, blackens its bark,
and grows thorns along its flanks, pointy and dark.
It is a prophecy that none may defy,
no matter how much you beg, cajole, or cry.
Feeling his frets, therefore, Edmund dared a glance
at the tree as if to see if he had the slightest chance
with the Princess Felicia, the Golden-Hearted Maiden
whom all of the knights of Gran Stone felt overladen
with affection for, that prized jewel in the gilded crown
of a kingdom whose bravery had earned renown.
And when he looked to see where his heart would reside
the faces turned indifferent— an unbridgeable divide.
“Maybe,” he thought, “if I give it more time
she will come around to me, like a perfect rhyme.”
Stephen Marshall. Writer, illustrator, layabout. Find him on Amazon, maybe. He has paperback and kindle books listed there. He also writes Supernatural Romance under the name S.C. Foster (because his fiancee pushed him to do so). He seems to have a knack for the Romance genre, much to his chagrin. Having pursued Children's literature he is particularly proud of his Children's novel series "Lost And Found", which begins with "Chloe Among The Clover", continues recently with "Stormy Within The Strawberry Patch" and may, in some future potentiality, culminate with "Candice Through The Picket Fence". These are novels for children (including his insistent nephew), but they are also written for adults who are children at heart. His short story collection, "The Eldritch Diaries", centers primarily upon Cosmic Horror and Body Horror, combining Lovecraft's mythos with the motifs of Sigmund Freud. His largest poetry collection, "Broken Crown Kings", contains over two hundred poems and two short novellas concerning the fleeting nature of the world and Man's place within it. Recently he has published a smaller book of poetry concerning Kentucky, Moonshine, and Ghosts called "Moonshine And Spirit Chasers". A much larger collection, entitled '"Nevermore" 99 Rhymes For $0.99' is also available. For those seeking supernatural and folklore, his collection "Weeping Cherry" is available also.
https://www.amazon.com/Stephen-Marshall/e/B07536QKD9?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_fkmrnull_1&qid=1554215427&sr=8-1-fkmrnull
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