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Cherry Tree
One summer day not long ago a man planted a tree,
With tender love and patience he invested energy.
He poured his hope and faith into the little budding leaves,
For by this time next year he thought that apples he would eat.
But then the year came rolling by, then two and even three,
And year by painful barren year no fruit would bless the tree.
The man lost hope until at last, his faith turned into hate,
Too many years were wasted and no longer would he wait.
He turned and blamed the barren leaves, “Why’d you do this to me?”
And yet the sapling hung her head, it wasn’t meant to be.
The man grew angry in his haste, he felt he’d been betrayed,
His eyes saw not her blossoms nor the beauty of her shade.
And so resentment filled his heart, that hatred became real,
And strike by painful metal strike he chopped the tree with steel.
The tree said nothing but she bore, her trials silently.
For though she tried she never could become an apple tree.
And so the man unleashed his wrath until he could no more,
And broken leaves and blossom buds lay scattered on the floor.
Yet when the man trod home that night on bent and weary feet,
He noticed that his hands and axe both smelled so faintly sweet.
For though he blamed his troubles on the silent cherry tree,
The only thing she left him with were fragrant memories.
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Nothing to Lose
Never be afraid to love, or treat the world with care,
For life is filled with beauty and you too deserve a share.
See, troubles are just Heaven’s way of helping us to learn,
The more that you dare give away the more that you shall earn.
And life’s a game you only lose if you choose to retreat,
For when your love is answered then your heart grows soft and sweet.
But when it is rejected then through pain you shall grow strong,
So be that soldier on the field that hums a battle song.
The world does not define you as to who you’re meant to be,
It’s only a reflection of the person that you see.
And in the end it all comes down to what you choose to do,
So whether life is cruel or kind shall all depend on you.
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Shindy Cai resides in upstate New York and works as a professional classical dancer for Shen Yun Performing Arts.
Shindy, you have written two more exquisite poems with crystal clear messages coming from a loving heart. They both are beautiful and moving.
Nice sentiments. I especially liked this line in Nothing to Lose: “So be that soldier on the field that hums a battle song.”
Dear Shindy,
I love these. Thank you.
The Cherry Tree is a beautiful and sad story reminding us that we ought not be bound to our expectations and miss the beauty that exists. This really connects to the next poem – we don’t need to let the expectations of others define us.
These were a pleasure to read and think about.
Gigi
I particularly enjoyed ‘Cherry Tree’, Shindy. It read like an Oscar Wilde fairy tale – melancholy, yet satisfying.
Great stuff.
A beautiful fable of the “Cherry Tree,” Shindy. It tells how love can become not only disappointment, but even hatred, through mistaken expectations. And through failure to value reality as it presents itself. Your finishing touch, showing that sweet memories remain, represents another emotional truth.