Beneath the Maple Tree



When I was growing up
I had a dog named Max
He loved to lick my face
And follow in my tracks

One day he chased a squirrel
That ran across the road
A truck came driving by
And never even slowed

Max ended up so maimed
We set his spirit free
And I buried Max’s ashes
Beneath the maple tree

***

A woman made me smile
I fell in love with her
The day that she said yes
My vision was a blur

She loved my old hometown
And walks along the creek
When the diagnosis came
The tears flowed down our cheeks

The cancer won its fight
Right after I agreed
To bury my wife’s ashes
Beneath the maple tree

***

I’ve never loved again
Her memory means too much
I spend the lonely nights
Aching for her touch

I dedicate my days
Working at a home
I want the old folks there
Not to feel alone

And when my time has come
A time we all foresee
They’ve sworn to place my ashes
Beneath the maple tree

About this poem

A poem about life and love and loss.

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Written on April 16, 2024

Submitted by DougHaberman on April 16, 2024

57 sec read
95

Quick analysis:

Scheme xaxa xbxb xcdC xexe xxxx xxdC xfxf xxxx xcdC
Closest metre Iambic trimeter
Characters 890
Words 190
Stanzas 9
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4

Doug Haberman

Retired high school humanities teacher who loves to write song lyrics. Now trying my hand at poetry writing. more…

All Doug Haberman poems | Doug Haberman Books

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Discuss the poem Beneath the Maple Tree with the community...

6 Comments
  • alanswansea18
    Well done.
    LikeReply9 days ago
  • jn.selvadurai
    Beautiful construction and a heartfelt story line. As a first timer out here, this was the poem that brought out most emotion. Thank you.
    LikeReply20 days ago
  • lanhamleslie
    This brought me to tears. Beautiful and touching. Well done.
    LikeReply20 days ago
  • npirandy
    Man! It was a hard choice this month. Yours was very nearly my top pick. We'll done indeed.
    LikeReply20 days ago
  • BasNoBeathaWriter
    This is such a wonderfully succinct and well-structured poem. It was the only poem in the whole competition that invoked a clear emotional response from me. I reread it several times and appreciated it more and more with each pass. Really stellar work here! 
    LikeReply20 days ago
    • DougHaberman
      What a wonderful comment! I appreciate it a lot!
      LikeReply20 days ago
  • Courtnie.mckern
    Just felt a connection to the poem having had breast cancer myself and wanting my ashes to be spread somewhere in the forest.
    LikeReply20 days ago
    • DougHaberman
      It's comforting to think of a final resting place that is somewhere we love! Thanks for your kind words.
      LikeReply20 days ago
    • Courtnie.mckern
      you’re very welcome
      LikeReply20 days ago

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"Beneath the Maple Tree" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 28 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/187206/beneath-the-maple-tree>.

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How many syllables an Iambic Pentameter line must have?
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