The Murder Mystery

 

My eyes came upon a tree that tried

It tried and tried, but could not fly

No matter how hard it appeared to try

Its branches flapped, its goals were high

Still frozen though, in ground, root high

 

Over the sound of cold wind whipping by

I hear the rustle of its flapping leaves

And swear I can even hear it cry

Though making desperate effort, it seems

At least at the distance from which I spy

It was the tree that could not fly

 

From where I stood its leaves were black

Against the steel grey winter sky

Beneath my feet, the ice would crack

Results of the ice storm just flown by

 

The storm came fast, and came from nowhere

Completely took me by surprise

It lasted minutes, though everywhere

Now completely blanketed with ice

 

As I continue to walk towards the tree

The tree that, though appeared to try

The tree, the tree that could not fly

I begin to see the roots of its efforts

I begin to see, to understand why

 

It appears I was not alone in surprise

Thus caught off guard by storm of ice

Now frozen in my tracks, I realize

Like having mistaken maggots for rice

These were not leaves trapped in this ice

 

The black leaves, as I had originally thought

I had thought they were leaves

But now know they are not

They are wings, black wings,

Now  leaves me to believe

They belong to birds

And not to trees

 

Moving closer again, I now can see

A murder of crows saturate the tree

A thousand strong, maybe two or three

And though they try, they can’t break free

 

They landed there

To weather the storm

It came so fast

With no alarm

Don’t know for sure, but my hunch is

The storm left them frozen in their tracks

Feet frozen to the barren branches

A murder mystery, now points the facts

 

Their cries now piercing

This tree may yet fly

Crow wings flapping fiercely

Seeking freedom in the sky

 

This tug of war

Between birds and tree

Not rope, but ice

Won’t set them free

 

But suddenly it seems

The tree now cries

Tears now stream

From melting ice

 

Then, as if the tree gave in

Let go of the rope

Under the pressure, caved in

Just gave up hope

 

The crows fought hard, finally breaking free

Now blackness reigned

Their shadows cloud

What little sun I see

When the sky had finally cleared

I stood, a witness of mass murder flee

And all that remained

Of a cold and barren, crying tree