A love story
Submitted to Corner Post
The poem below was written by a young man to a young lady with whom he was smitten. It was penned for her on the occasion of her birthday in 1955. He submitted it to us, and we wanted to share it with you.
"Maiden of the Leaves"
She came in bright October
Dancing lightly through the trees
Softly dancing, dancing, dancing
Like the merry autumn breeze
And the movement of her dancing
Stirred the fallen autumn leaves.
Tripping lightly through the forest
Smiling shyly through the leaves
With the music of her laughter
Like the merry autumn breeze
Came she lightly through the forest
Came she lightly through the leaves
Came she quietly to my side Like the wondrous autumn breeze.
It was there in bright October
As I stood among the trees
That my heart began to sing
Like the merry autumn breeze
And its song was for the maiden
Of the gold and scarlet leaves.
Crying deep within my bosom
Singing out to all the trees
Like the merry autumn breeze
Came it deeply from my bosom
Came it quietly to the leaves
Came it softly to her ears
On the wondrous autumn breeze.
Then I knew within a moment
That this maiden of the leaves
Would not be here for a moment
And then fade among the trees
Would not wander, was not restless
Like the fickle autumn breeze
That her love was just as steady
As the age-old autumn trees.
- Kenneth Thee, Nov 22, 1955
The maiden in the poem now lives in a memory care facility. The poet visits her there very regularly. After almost 70 years of marriage, he can no longer provide all of the care she currently needs.
This token of their first encounter among a grove of ancient oaks on the campus where they met keeps a special memory evergreen.
