Magnolia grandiflora

We have a grand flowering magnolia in our front yard.
She spreads out her arms like a loving grandmother;
One cannot avoid the reach of her branches.
She is a tall, muscular wall of green
Which shields our house from the street
And fills the heavy air
With the fragrance of peppery lemons
In the early Summer morning,
Like the lingering scent of a lady you remember
From your childhood, who returns
To haunt you in the heat and humidity
Of a quiet June morning, on a sleepy Saturday morning,
An ancient, beloved spirit in the front yard.