There Was a Cherry-Tree - Read by REF

There Was a Cherry-Tree - Read by REF

What can we learn from those who have battled addiction? Sometimes, it starts with simply slowing down long enough to sit with a story, a voice, or even a single poem. There Was a Cherry-Tree – Read by REF is a short, gentle reading of James Whitcomb Riley’s poem, offered as part of LibriVox’s Weekly Poetry project.

It’s a simple setup: one reader, one poem, and a scene built around a boy, a cherry tree, and a blue jay “of the realest blue.” Yet this small slice of childhood memory might speak strongly to anyone in recovery who’s trying to reconnect with moments of innocence, safety, or quiet joy.

You’ll hear repeated lines like “There was a cherry tree” that work almost like a soft refrain, grounding you in a single image while your mind fills in the rest. The poem shifts from “bloomy snows” of white blossom to “crimson fruitage far too sweet,” echoing the way life moves from simple beginnings to richer, sometimes overwhelming experiences.

For people working through addiction, that kind of imagery can be a gentle reminder that sweetness and pleasure don’t have to come from a bottle. The style is calm, old-fashioned, and rhythmic – the sort of thing you might put on during a quiet walk, a mindful break, or as a palate cleanser between heavier recovery content. There’s no advice, no preaching, just a voice bringing a public domain poem back to life.

If you’re looking for a brief pause that focuses on memory, gratitude, and the small miracles of ordinary days, this reading might be a surprisingly soothing addition to your listening queue. Could three minutes with a cherry tree help you reconnect with the part of you that was once simply a boy or girl under a white-blossomed sky?