The Name On The Tree

A poem by Madison Julius Cawein

I saw a name carved on a tree
"Julia";
A simpler name there could not be
Julia:
But seeing it I seemed to see
A Devon garden, pleasantly
About a parsonage, the bee
Made drowsy-sweet; where rosemary
And pink and phlox and peony
Bowed down to one
Whom Herrick made to bloom in Poetry.
A moment there I saw her stand,
Julia;
A gillyflower in her hand,
Julia:
And then, kind-faced and big and bland,
As raised by some magician's wand,
Herrick himself passed by, sun-tanned,
And smiling; and the quiet land
Seemed to take on and understand
A dream long dreamed,
And for the lives of two some gladness planned.
And then I seemed to hear a sigh,
"Julia!"
And someone softly walking nigh,
Julia:
The leaves shook; and a butterfly
Trailed past; and through the sleepy sky
A bird flew, crying strange its cry
Then suddenly before my eye
Two lovers strolled They knew not why
I looked amazed,
But I had seen old ghosts of long dead loves go by.