There Was a Cherry-Tree - Read by MJF

There Was a Cherry-Tree - Read by MJF

Curious about how a simple childhood memory can still calm a "fevered sight" years later? This short poetry reading of *There Was a Cherry-Tree* by James Whitcomb Riley, read by MJF, leans right into that feeling of gentle nostalgia and quiet joy. Part of a LibriVox poetry project, this episode focuses completely on Riley’s verse, letting the language do the work without commentary or analysis.

You’ll hear the cherry tree come to life in repeated lines like "There was a cherry tree" as the poem circles around the same image from different angles: the cool "bloomy snows" of blossom, the shift from white flowers to "crimson fruitage", and the bright contrast of the blue jay "his blue against its white".

MJF’s delivery is calm and clear, giving you space to picture the tree, the boy, the bird and the fruit, and to sit with that closing sense of gratitude: "There was a cherry tree. Give thanks and joy." It’s the sort of piece you might put on when you want something gentle and grounding, rather than a long discussion or heavy narrative.

You’ll also get a tiny glimpse of Riley’s world: a poet who started out writing verses as a sign maker, moved through newspaper work in Indiana, and built a name through poetry readings across the Midwest and beyond. That background adds an extra layer to hearing his work performed aloud, just as audiences would have heard him more than a century ago.

If you’re in the mood for a few minutes of calm that might remind you of your own small childhood joys, this reading might be exactly what you’re after.