For a brief time, I lived with my son and grandson. On days when I'd pick my grandson up from school, we'd play for awhile on the wooden playground in the shade of a huge evergreen tree. Those days of play inspired this poem.
Sentry of the School Playground
©2006, Janet K. Poludniak
She has stood through every test . . .
older, stronger than the rest.
The Creator placed her years ago.
How many now I do not know.
When children play about her feet;
she loves their laughter to repeat.
When bigger kids climb in her arms,
she's careful that no fear alarms.
She shades the children from the sun,
and feels the gloom when day is done,
but rests and waits for them to play . . . .
She's evergreen by night and day.
She ne'er complains ‘bout wind or rain –
even when these cause her pain.
She knows these "gifts" have made her strong;
to be ungrateful would be wrong.
A "Monarch" in the woods she'd be –
so tall and beautiful to see –
this sentry of the school playground
watching o'er her wooden town.