Listen....
Can you hear it?
There beneath the backyard tree.
A wealth of sounds are reaching me.
I hear the trill of children’s laughter,
who’s won the race, who’s come in after?
I hear the wind’s rhythmic whistle
as rope and board swing like a missile;
and counting loudly, one two three,
“ready or not” ..... “you can’t catch me!”

Listen...
Can you hear it?
There up in the backyard tree,
the leaves play me a symphony.
I hear the song of a cheerful bird
or the languid lull of silence heard.
The incessant chatter of the squirrels
once lured adventuring boys and girls,
into the world above the ground,
up in the canopy, to be found.

Listen...
Can you hear it?
There, it is the backyard tree!
So eerily it sways and creeks.
It’s branches wrenching to and fro
casting wild shadows where they go.
A frightful sight in stormy fury
to be raced past in a great hurry,
for surely monsters big and small
lurk there to catch you if you fall!

Some say it is an ugly sight
the backyard tree  has lost it’s fight.
Old and cracked and leafless now
soon it will have to be cut down.
But when I see it I always smile
and ponder over it a while;
close my eyes as one more memory
echos through that poor old backyard tree.
Can you hear it?
Listen.