On the edge of the forest, there runs a river
How deep, I do not know
Across it spans a wooden bridge
The only way past the flow
Beyond the bank there is a bloodwood
Quite small, but still majestic
It's always nice to be near to
Though its story is quite tragic
I'd passed it many times
Throughout my aimless wandering
But one day I stopped
Since I couldn't help wondering
Whether I should settle down
And bask in its shade
So I ran across the bridge
For once, leaving the glade
But the problems that had chased me
All nightmare long
Followed across the bridge
And everything went wrong
I had wounded the tree, deeply
Leaving gashes on its trunk
Shiny, ruby-red sap bled down
As my heart rapidly sunk
I poked and prodded desperately
Wanting forgiveness not deserved
But persisted all the same
Thinking it could be preserved
The sap burned my skin
It was corrosive, angry, betrayed
So I ran back across the bridge
Though the tree of course had stayed
I washed my hands in the river
Cleaning the trace of my crime
Deciding not to return
Not now, or at any time
