A City Dweller’s Wish
by
I LOVE the leaf of the old oak-tree,
I love the gum of the spruce,
I love the bark of the hickory,
And I love the maple’s juice.
On the walnut’s grain I fondly dote,
On the cherry’s fruit I’d dine,
And I love to lie in a narrow boat,
And scent the odor of pine.
Ah, me! how I wish some power grand
Would invent some single tree
With all these points well developed, and
Would send that tree to me!
I’d plant it deep in the jardinière
That stands in this flat of mine;
I’d give it the sweetest, tenderest care,
And water its roots with wine.