The Party Tree
By Jenny Chasteen
Do you remember, last September,
Ocean wind blew from the west,
And rustled lanterns in the party tree, your favorite place to rest?
Although the dark extinguished day, the shadows turned around to flee
‘Cause a thousand stars were twined around
The Party Tree.
Do you recall late last fall,
When rumors whispered from the east
About the sniffing, sharp-clawed riders galloping on midnight beasts?
Then the horrors found your haven, so you packed your bags to flee;
Cast a last glance back behind you at
The Party Tree.
Do you remember, by December,
Winter set into your bones--
Your shoulder aching, stomach quaking, East Road taking you from home?
But the flight became a fight for home and friendship, memory;
So you took another step, strong for
The Party Tree.
But if you think that by the spring
All will be healed, you’ll grieve to see
The killers came while you were gone, and they cut down
The Party Tree.
So I know that you’ll keep searching for a haven bright and green,
And your journey through the dark brought home
A Magic Seed.
Jenny Chasteen
Jenny Chasteen has been hooked on storytelling since she was a toddler dictating to her siblings. She’s an eighteen-year-old homeschool graduate, the self-published author of the SwordLight trilogy, and a Young Writer’s Workshop Author. Her flash fiction story, Higherlight, was published with Havok. As a ten-year Bible Quizzer, she’s head-over-heels nerdy about anything biblical. As an aunt to fourteen, she’s inspired by crazy kids. As an INFJ, she’s confusing even to herself. You can sign up for her newsletter at http://eepurl.com/gV_jbr
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This is a fabulous poem!
Thank you so much, Abigail!
Beautiful, Jenny!! I love how the seasons change in each stanza! ❤
Thank you, Ella! The changes of the seasons always inspire me to write. 🙂
Fantastic poem, Jenny! There is so much life and such a vibrant story in just a few stanzas!
I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Gracie! Thank you for reading!
Oooohhh this was absolutely beautiful!!! I love the creativity put into this!!!! Keep up this fantastic work. God can move through our gifts, and yours definitely sounds like poetry <3 Keep writing and coming up with beautiful things like this!
Thank you so much for your encouragement, Daisy!
I love this poem! The loss of the Party Tree made me emotional but the end of the poem still offered hope for the future.
Thanks, Jodi! That’s great to hear. 🙂
Oh my! That was amazing. That was very sad though when they cut down the Party Tree!
Good job! <3
Thank you, Lucy! It made me sad, too XD
Is this from Lord of the Rings? I like poetry but I don’t write it much.
It reminds me of the last few scenes in The Return of the King when Saruman’s goons mess up the Shire and Sam goes around trying to fix it all.
Hi Keilah! Yes, it’s inspired by Lord of the Rings! And especially by the part where Sam and Frodo come back to find the damage Saruman did in their absence.
Yeah, I just read that book recently, and I remembered it! Good job!
Whoa, this so beautiful Jenny! The imagery is so vivid and fairytale like.
Thank you, Kathleen!
Ooh, I really like this! (And I have high standards for poems so that’s high praise)
Reminds me of a certain book I love about a hobbit 😉