Advisers’ note: At the turn of the 20th century, until World War II, newspapers routinely printed fictional stories as entertainment alongside traditional news articles. With this historical precedent in mind, the Kirn Cave is proud to present this poem by Ada Ferry.

Their golden curtains draping downward

Their limbs stretching wide

Their legs planted firmly 

But yet didn’t make a sound

They swayed and danced to a gentle breeze

Their sight was breathtaking

The beautiful ginkgo trees of old Abraham gym

Stood there proudly   

People came to and through 

Some stopped to admire 

Others brought a book

More wanted to climb even higher

But as the air froze and the wind blew

The ginkgos did just what they do

The leaves had browned

A shriveled dead stick stood there in the ground

The gold blew away

Their only beauty

Then autumn said goodbye  

And winter stepped forward

But the ginkgos didn’t once flinch

As snow covered the empty branches inch by inch

The trees went to sleep

But by and by no more frost

The trees stood awake

Their buds formed

And their leaves grew

Leaving fresh tiny leaflets anew

There stood a new beauty

The green stretched wide

The branches kept tall

As the beautiful ginkgo trees waited for next fall