And again the forest yawns wide
I lean in and inspect its teeth
Under a darkening sky my skin prickles
I may have been this way before
But I know that
I am lost
Not hiding
Not even seeking
A path
To shelter
But truly
Mis-placed
Pulling on heavy legs and a heaving chest
I stumble on into the dark wood
Eyes follow and I fear
They are my own
Most brutal in passing judgement
As I struggle
To find my way
Tiny spikes of seed cases burrow deep into the soles
Of my bare feet and sting
At least it offers some warmth without
As I continue to solidify
Turn to stone
Growing cold within
As the black pool in the middle
Of this lonely clearing
Smooth as glass
No ripples break the surface
I hold my breath
She places her trust in the palm of a hand
And watches
Fingers curl but will they cherish
The gift that was placed so carefully
And deliberately there
Or will they crush it
Crumbling fragments back into the earth
Littered as it is with chestnut leaves
And broken bits of something
That given the right nourishment
May have grown
Spectacular.
No seedlings break the surface
Somewhere in the distance a howl rises
I hold my breath
