Early one spring I saw a tree,

A most beautiful maple tree with fresh, green leaves,

Smelling sweet and musky like the white shoulders

                             Of a new maiden.

I plucked a leaf and put it in my heart and kept it there

                             For seventeen years,

Although I forgot about it for most of that time;

Took my leaf for granted, and when I looked at it, finally,

                            It had withered, dried and crumbled.

Astonished, distraught, sad, terrified, I threw my leaf away,

And walked back into the forest, which I knew once,

But did no more, so changed and strange to me.

My fear seized my soul; I knew I would parish there alone.

Madly I searched for my tree, for another leaf, but she was gone.

Weeping, I wandered the dense wood, not believing I could find

                                       Another tree.

But, then I stumbled on a root and fell into sweet, wet grass.

I pushed my face deep into the grass, so cool a fragrant,

                                  And felt the root tug at my foot.

I looked up a saw an oak spreading over my, and I saw God.

No leaf would I take from this tree, no branch that could break and                                            fall;

I would take the root.  I would love that root and never lose sight

                                      Of it,

Or neglect it like my leaf

As I held my root, loved her and was joyful in her, I became

                                      A tree,

A sapling first, and from my darling root I gained strength,

And I became a fine tree.  No oak, not even maple, but sturdy,

Confident and able to stand rigors of time and weather;

And my root stayed with me and gave me life.

My root died last week, fought hard to stay, but her sweet body

                                      Failed.

I am bereft; what will I do without my root, my steadfast hold on

                                      Earth;

My raison d’etre; my avatar of God? 

But, I know now, if I look carefully at where you stood,

I will see the Love of God because you, my root, my anchor,

Was all I could  see, and I was fulfilled, but now, now,

My Love, my Darling, I must see God where you were,

Because now you are with God, and I must see the way

So, someday, I can find you.  Te Adoro, my Sweet.