Faded light delicately touched the earths floor. As if to give it a good morning kiss, the winds flowed down allowing the ferns that littered the ground to tremble. The forest breathed good morning to the small creatures that emerged from the depths of the trees, the burrows and nest that lay hidden. Each tucked away in spots only the they and the wind knew. Birds awaken and sing the daily gossip they ever so enjoyed, sharing all the little secrets they learned over the days. Something else sturrs as a large figure makes his way threw the grove to the saskatoon berries that hang from the shrubs. Bear has arrived just in time for breakfast. The berries, (some ripe, some over ripe), reminiscent of the summer air that seems to be fading farther and farther with them as the autumn days grow closer. At last the bear comes to rest. He stares up at the sky and sunlight seeps three the branches of the forest. Something close to a smile passes over his face as he takes in the beautiful day. The forest at last has awoken. At peace with itself and its inhabitants.

Calm where trees grow tall Fresh fog gently covers all To relax in peace

I always enjoyed disappearing into these woods when the world became too much. The way the foliage seemed to wrap around me made me feel sheltered and secure. It was quiet, but buzzing just loud enough to remind me there was life hidden in the tall grass and overgrown brush, never alone. The ground shifted and crunched beneath my feet. Layers of autumns from years past creaking their joints for my auditory pleasure as I lumbered with the bark beside me. Beams of sunlight cut through the overhang like spotlights on a stage, illuminating mushrooms and flowers over wise obscured and unnoticed.

I paused a moment when I felt I had walked deep enough and breathed. The air was crisp and filled my lungs in such an inviting way I couldn’t help but smile. I felt the wind blow past me as I took another breath, the forest breathing with me for a moment. The dampness of the earth squished beneath my shoes as I pressed forward once more, returning my awareness to the landmarks I’d memorized. A tree twisted into a knot, a pair of mushrooms far too tall, and a perfectly round clearing just off to my right, a perfect place to stargaze. With one last glance over my shoulder I’d knew I made it out of the woods, and one step into Forgnox. The buzz of the town immediately drowning out the buzz of the creatures now further and further behind me.

Towering over are shade creators Basking in glory of the sun We stand small but are the nominaters The tall ones stay still and never done

The wind whispers storys around The tall ones branches stirring in admiration Story’s bounce around and live We stand short and blindly take

The whispers of the trees are so quiet Although mighty, and all knowing We stand short and unseeing The wisdom around us taken as merely wind

Everything is known and in the Erie quiet Booms of thunder roll in rage Life is empty unless story’s fulfilled We stand warned but turn it down with a wave

An annoyance to us is a key to the world The way of all things is the way unheard Thunder dies in desperate attempts We turn it down with a hiss

Dying whispers of longing travel coldly We dismiss it as a breeze, a minor inconvenience As the world lets out a final word a word of love We watch it die with grins so wide.

Through our wrath we enjoy the fall Of natures finale dying call It calls for us its children back Calls of love and pleads

Something so powerful dies under us Our evil eyes watching wisdom burn Its undying but it dies for us And in its loss we grow desperate

Our once evil eyes are filled with tears As our own selfish needs are no where near We killed our hope without its story’s Forever lost we have no roots.

Trickling water flows deep within the base Where the branches sprout And the crickets shout

The foxes construct a den for the Next of kin and the Sun’s light whispers barely lay Behind all the booming shade

Corners and creases are habitats, Scattered with shells Fallen from the sky life above This ecosystem is a place many love

I stepped into the forest, off the well kept path and had to adjust my eyes, as my vision was overtaken by darkness. I looked up, the sun straining, trying to leak beads of light through the thick canopy, her efforts denied. Sometimes night wins, even in the day.

In there; where your eyes see, where winds pass by, where creatures of all kind live on. Gargantuan barks of wood and leaves follow towards the eternal light of the sun, such greedy plants aren’t they? The grass, as high as they are, wish to be just as beautiful as their neighboring flowers born of aged, and hardened stem— yet all life is beautiful as long as they bathe under the light of the eternal sun. They hold these lands with grace, and war; some barks were struck by iron from unrecorded time, pieces of bones that were left to be grown by fungi— in rarer cases, they become one with the aged trees. All life, even in death, shall remain alive under the rule of the woods and stars; to walk amongst these endless plants is a gift, to rest amongst them is a blessing, even when thy slumber will be your last.

The sun’s prisms danced waltzes across the delicate leaves that went on for miles. It was as if flitting fairies had flicked their long and bony, yet elegant, fingers and dispersed glitter all over the woodlands. One would think it would be quiet and peaceful here to match the untouched dew and stillness, but they would be far off from right. If one listened closely enough, say behind a log, or under the nearest toadstool, their ears would be blessed with a symphony. The little dart frogs croaked softly in harmony with the rustling maraca that was an earthworm and the bass tones of a woodpecker on a dense tree. More sounds overlapped, creating the perfect resonance of bliss.

The trees seemed to sigh with me. They always do. A joint intake of breathe, a moment of stillness amongst the movement of the world outside. It’s vastness never scared me. An interlocking network of bramble and hawthorn, interrupted by precipes’ of oak, maple, pine. Beneath their ancient leaves is the only time I get to breathe. The only place where time slows to a manageable pace. My chest rises and falls, a slow release. I walked a different path today. Not the sharp climb I normally take. Today I had more time. More of a chance to sit, to listen. To wander deep into the dappled shade, the robins and cuckoo doves serenading my stroll, deep,deep,deeper. The rich hues of autumn are littered around me, the last embers of a flame dying in a cold hearth, spluttering on the masonry. Their vibrancy warms me despite the brisk air. I come to an alcove I have not ventured to before. As our familiarity with each other grows, the woods direct me to one of its more intimate spots. A peppering of moss, bracken ferns and forget-me-nots adorn the carpet of grass keeping the gnarled toes of the trees warm. A breeze tickles the flowers, skipping merrily through the grass, climbing nimbly up the boughs, settling among the last moments of autumn clinging desperately to their perches. It was as the breeze found it’s target, the maple leaf caught In its web, floating down to its earthen resting place that I stopped. The grass parted with the winds breath, an invitation to sit and rest. My legs stretched beneath me, flowing from my core, an imitation of the roots nestled below. I let loose a breath, and stare at the umbrella of life above me, watching it sway, bend, move. A well practiced waltz. I let the last shreds of tension leave my body, a temporary solace of calm away from the bustle of every day. I dove deeper in myself, free as the wind, bending with the trees.

I sat under the shade of the great oak trees as the midday sun beat through the slight gaps in the leaves. It has been a long day and the stop to rest was much needed. An early start meant that I had been walking for 6 hours already and the view around me had hardly changed. The same dense forest and winding trail spotted with roots which seemed to trip you the second you took your eyes off them. I sat now taking in my surroundings and I am in awe. I can’t believe I has walked all morning and hasn’t stopped to appreciate the beauty of my surroundings. The river babbled gently in the background far enough away to be out of sight but still within earshot. What struck me the most was the number of creatures which call these woods home. Birds of all shapes and sizes dive amongst the branches high above me and squirrels jump and swing through the branches looking for food. The chirp of birdsongs have been something that long brought me peace and it does so again now as I sit on the padded moss under this mighty tree. Do I really have to leave? Can’t I just see out my days in this paradise? Unfortunately I’m on the clock and can only stop for so long but maybe now as I continue I’ll take more notice if the brilliant landscape before me as the vibrant wilderness welcomes me as a guest into it’s home.