A picnic table sits beneath a spreading white oak tree
just outside the building where I spend many of my days
extending an unspoken invitation to all who walk past it.
Perched on a slight incline, it is bathed in deep, cool shade, and
a breeze has, more often than not, accepted the invitation
and it, in turn, entreats passersby to do the same.
Were it not for the heavy chain tethering the table so close
that the tree itself takes two of the end seats
that haven on the hill would be perfect.
Enjoy the table, but don’t steal it. Things are complicated.
Draft, May 2021
Yet There is Method 
Great ending, Tim. Didn’t see that coming. Almost perfect — the setting, of course. As always, your poem is.
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Thanks, Christie. The last line was pretty much so written first — I just had to find the rest of the poem to go with it.
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And that is often how things so. One line and then to fill in the rest.
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At a nearby mall yesterday I saw a little grassy area with four rocking chairs, all chained. It’s a strange message, isn’t it? Thanks for sharing this, Tim.
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It is a strange message, indeed. I really do understand the need to keep things from being stolen, but it’s still strange. Along those lines, today I saw a house with four signs spaced along the sidewalk: “Live,” “Laugh,” “Love,” and “No Trespassing.” Hmmm.
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Love how you weave all those inviting sensory details making me want to sit and sip my water on that table until I read your ending…then I had a ‘chain reaction’. Fabulous poem, Tim. 🙂
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Thanks, Bridget. Your comment made me smile!
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I’m laughing at the image of the tree taking two of the end seats! I could picture this beautiful scene, Tim.
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Laura, I walked by it again today and chuckled once more!
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What I imagine is that those ‘powers’ with the chain clearly haven’t been by in a while with the seats missing. Your poem takes one place and turns it into a starring role, Tim. (And more with a tree, too!)
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Linda, I do love working trees into my poems! I’m not sure if the powers sit out there or not. 🙂
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Lovely poem with quite an unexpected ending – chains and all. It must be a coveted table and/or a coveted spot that demands a spot to sit – thus the table! As always you created this poem with a sense of humor and a keen eye for observation! Well done!
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Carol, it really is a beautiful spot, chain and all!
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It sounds like a lovely place…what an “office!”
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Linda, it is indeed!
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Boom. What an ending. The contrast is harsh, but real.
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Thank you, Mary Lee. 🙂
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Yes. Yes they are. Ruth, thereisnosuchthingasagodforsakentown.blogspot.com
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This is delightful! I love the language, and also how the unexpected fact of the chain changed the picture I had in my mind.
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Thank you, Elisabeth!
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I like that a breeze has “accepted the invitation.” (Wouldn’t you think a picnic table would be too big to steal? I guess people have a lot of ingenuity with their thievery…if only they could put that toward learning to make one!)
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Thanks, Tabatha. In all fairness, it’s not a table that’s too big to carry off. I do wish the chain was a bit longer, though! 🙂
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You set such a beautiful metaphorical (and literal!) table for us, spread out among the trees. It’s a gesture of bounty, of welcome, of generosity. But…don’t feel too welcome.
Sigh. People mess things up sometimes.
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We people do, indeed. I looked at that table just today, and found that I had a different attitude that leaned more toward gratitude. The lawn guy might not like it, but I also stretched that chain all the way out! 🙂
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