Neighbor's oak

Neighbor's oak has seen the snow
Much more than enough to know
One winter will come but will not go

A kind old lover-lady
Will lay upon him heavy
Crowd his sleep, as she lay down,

Grope with fingers, flesh'd in ice,
Needle-nosed with eyeless sight
Seek warm pockets he's interr'd

And if he maybe start or stir
His name she'll sing in whisper
And he will know again 'tis her

And dive deep for waters warm
That his youthful roots did sense
But never could discover

Lullabies, to him, she'll coo
Her swollen fingers shattering
His proud and happy posture

And as she melts away again
She would carry him to his dream
Sleeping, he'll try to follow