The Old Tree
a poem by Laura Pfalz

Daddy's mad again,
And it must be my fault,
because he slapped pretty hard;
I can still feel the sting.

Perhaps if I hid,
He'd forget about me,
sit in his chair,
And forget what I did.

He knows all the places,
that I like to hide,
So he always finds me...
I guess I leave traces.

I have finally found,
a place of my own;
In the arms of the old tree,
atop its highest bough.

He screams my name,
and curses alot;
But the old tree protects me,
while Daddy's insane.

The old tree,
holds me so safely.
I stay there til bedtime,
So Daddy no longer finds me.

But today it was sad,
Daddy cut down the old tree.
My tears fell like raindrops,
I had never been so mad.

So I went to the old tree,
and lay down beside it,
I was no longer out of reach,
So Daddy found me.

Today it was sad,
my daddy killed me.
But no tears will you find--
Because I was in the arms
of the only living thing,
that ever cherished me.