Storm Damage

When the storm had passed
Fallen branches lay around the yard
And we went to see
When we found what had happened to the cherry tree
It hit us pretty hard

Half the tree was gone
Down the trunk there ran a ragged gash
Torn by bitter winds
And below, the largest and the fairest limb
Lay broken on the grass

And it seemed to be the cruelest blow
That any storm could bring
And someone said, "That poor old tree
Won't see another spring"

But the tree still stands, the tree still grows
And you know the roots run deep
The tree still blooms when the gentle rains
Wake it out of its barren sleep
And the branches reach to hold the sun
And the cherries still are sweet

Even now it hurts
That old tree won’t be the same again
And we miss the perch
Where we used to climb to watch the distant hills
Appearing after rain

And we remember happiness
And yearn for what is lost
And we think about the new green buds
That follow on the frost

Cause the tree still stands, the tree still grows
And you know the roots run deep
The tree still blooms when the gentle rains
Wake it out of its barren sleep
And the branches reach to hold the sun
And the cherries still are sweet

We will not forget
It's no shame to weep for what is gone
But the spring has come
What survives through hardship is as beautiful
As what was whole and strong

You can tell where the big branch used to be
From the way the others grow
The scars are long and jagged
And they're always going to show

But the tree still stands, the tree still grows
And you know the roots run deep
The tree still blooms when the gentle rains
Wake it out of its barren sleep
And the branches reach to hold the sun
And the cherries still are sweet