The Keeper of Secrets

In a forest dense, where shadows play,
Stands a tree of wisdom, old and gray,
Its gnarled branches stretch, a welcoming hand,
Whispering tales of a forgotten land.

Beneath its boughs, where the soft winds sigh,
Hearts laid bare, and dreams would fly,
Lovers entwined in a sweet embrace,
While the tree stood witness to time and space.

A maiden once came with a heart full of woe,
Her tears like rain on the ground below,
She whispered her sorrow to the rustling leaves,
"Why must love vanish like the light that deceives?"

The tree, a keeper of every plight,
Wrapped her in comfort, cloaked her in night,
It cradled her grief, her fears intertwined,
Binding her heart to the roots that it mined.

A young boy approached with a spirit so bright,
His laughter like sunlight breaking the night,
He spoke of adventures, of castles and kings,
Of soaring through skies on fantastical wings.

The branches swayed gently, as if to agree,
"Share your joys freely; let them soar free.
For laughter shared echoes, it dances in air,
The more you give out, the more you will bear."

In twilight's embrace, two souls met and swore,
To love through the seasons, to give and explore,
With each promise spoken beneath the vast sky,
The tree held their secrets, as time drifted by.

Yet sorrow would linger, as shadows will creep,
A father lost hope, and a mother would weep.
He came to the tree, with a heart heavy laden,
Confessed all his fears, the love that had faded.

“Will the dawn bring solace? Will I find my way?”
The tree whispered softly, “You mustn't dismay.
For burdens, like shadows, dissolve in the light,
Share them with others; your soul will take flight.”

So, each life that lingered beneath leafy shade,
Left whispers of dreams and of choices unmade.
Tales of joy mingled with echoes of pain,
The tree bore them all, like the softest of rain.

Through ages it stood, in stillness it grew,
With roots deep in earth, and branches that knew
The weight of the world, the heart's quiet song,
A testament that in sharing, we belong.

For every secret shared, a weight lifted high,
Like leaves in the wind, let your worries fly.
The Keeper of Secrets, steadfast and wise,
Bears witness to life under soft, watchful skies.

So come, take a moment, find rest at its base,
In the stillness of nature, feel the warm embrace.
For beneath its great canopy, burdens can cease,
And the whispers of life will bring your heart peace.

- Khushi Kaul