Poem of the Week

I don't remember if Dad told me the source of inspiration for The Donut Tree, but I know it was one of several children's books he wrote through the years.  He wrote this in 2009.  You might enjoy it more with a cup of coffee...

                                                           THE DONUT TREE

A calico clown once gave to me

The seed for a magical donut tree.

The seed was so special that I was amazed,

Not for plain donuts, but deliciously glazed.

The seed, she explained, must be treated with care,

And instructions for planting she then did declare.

“Plant it,” she said, “quite late in the night

“With beams from the moon providing the light.”

“And as you are planting by the light of the moon

“Say magical words in a melodious tune.”

But the clown kept the secret so how could I know

What magical words would make the seed grow?

The advice that she gave did with wisdom abound:

“Use research,” she said, “that the words may be found

“For if you don’t utter those magical words,

“You’ll not have a tree for donuts or birds.”

I took the seed home and sat deep in thought

Of each magic word I had ever been taught.

I checked books from the library and studied each page

Till my knowledge of magic would make me a sage.

Words were considered with care and concern

As more about magic I continued to learn.

What words were required, what magical phrase

While planting that seed beneath the moon’s rays?

“Abracadabra” seemed too simple and trite.

“Freshdunkindonuts®”seemed just about right.

The magical words from my mother were these:

Never forget to say “Thank you” and “Please”.

“Abracadonuts” or “Abracatree”,

Just what in the world could the magic words be?

Would “Calicoclown” make the seed grow?

Oh, how in the world would I ever know?

Well, dark was upon me and the light of the moon,

If the seed’s to be planted, it must be done soon.

I took the seed gently in the dark of the night

And planted it squarely in a moonbeam of light.

I incanted some words which I won’t reveal

With the hope that some donuts would make my next meal.

I patted the ground and went in to my bed

Where dreams of glazed donuts danced through my head.

The very next morning the breaking of dawn

Showed a great sight right there on my lawn.

A tree had shot up and burst forth in leaf

With a scent so inviting that it stretched one’s belief.

When I went to check on that glorious tree,

I found that its sap was pure cinnamon tea,

And would you believe that the thick textured bark

Made Columbian coffee, rich, strong, and dark!

Dewdrops on leaves with their glazing of silk

Tasted to me like dairy-fresh milk.

The seed that I planted had put forth its root

With but one little problem with the glazed donut fruit.

The words that I uttered I had quickly rehearsed,

But at the time of the planting, they came out reversed,

And I sadly fell short of the greatest of goals,

And instead of glazed donuts, I only got holes.

I picked some and brought them; I wanted to share,

But they look all the world like balls of pure air.

The holes are delicious that come from that tree,

And greatest of all, they are calorie-free.

Please, eat all you want, and then take some more.

Pass them around for enjoyment galore.

There are plenty this time so just have a blast,

But I’m sorry to say that they may be the last.

The tree was so fruitful that the holes did abound,

And they were too light to fall to the ground.

I picked with both hands the whole morning through,

But for each hole I picked, three other ones grew.

That huge crop of holes, such a light, buoyant fruit,

Pulled that great tree right up by the root.

It floated out east with its leaves falling limp

And looking a lot like a big Goodyear® blimp.

So the next time a clown might hand me a seed,

I’ll ask for those magical words that I need

For a tree full of donuts is one to be praised,

Especially now if those donuts are glazed.

                                                 W. R. Mossner