Three hundred and twenty years in the making.
Lovers have met
Battles been fought, won and lost
And the afternoon heat
Has been endured here.
The King of the castle triumphed-
And was duly deposed here
Armies seen off
Defenders overwhelmed.
An enemy base
A home sanctuary.
Hitching post
Rendezvous, spaceship and monkey bars
Oh, and cuckoos have been heard here.
Countless hands, feet and tired posteriors have left their mark.
And it has left a mark in my heart, here.
The old tree trunk in the park.

Martin O'Neill

http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/a-pillar-of-the-community/