THE AFRICAN PRINCE
Centuries ago a young seeder walked through an open field...nothing but air
Grand dad was tossing grasses and succulents but the boy was not there
His dreams took him to far away lands where sun and heat had cooled
Where one day he could travel and learn, his dream of being schooled
Absent of thought tossed he his final seed into a giant well, a pit of great dimension
Something was different this time...Sizzles, eruptions the earth groaned its acceptance
When he in manhood returned fifty years hence, his oak, the tower of his labor proclaimed
A wondrous sight for all his tribesmen and clan...a sturdy giant, a friend unnamed
That stood the test of time and man, outlasting kings and peasants alike
Centuries later a group of classmates play under protective wings and might
The old tree has seen them before, their laughter fills his ears to bursting
Their youthful joy soothes his bark and cools his limbs, his soul is thirsting
For them to dance within the protective shelter of his loving embrace
The Serengeti winds have passed, the children`s shadows but a trace
For him the Oak alone he waits, stands on guard, the African prince
Protecting his families to shelter them tomorrow and tomorrow hence.
by Carole Spandau 2010
