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Saturday 25 May 2013

WOODLAND ECHOES



Wandering alone in the Forest of Sherwood
for hour upon hour in the depths of the wood.
Then a grassy knoll comes into view
beneath dappled shade of trees entwined.
I lay down and through half-closed eyes, I find
myths in these patches of blue.

I begin to doze and peculiar dreams
filled with outlaws of old and screams
awaken me with a sudden jolt,
to find clouds have come to obscure the Sun -
my adventure no longer seems such fun
and the trees sigh my name, so I bolt.

But all these paths appear the same,
so I haven't a clue which way I came
and the notion of spending a night alone
in this haunted forest fills me with dread -
I'd never be found should I end up dead.
Oh if only I'd brought my phone!

Now in the undergrowth something is rustling.
It's far too measured to be an animal bustling.
'Who's there?' I cry in wavering tone.
There's no reply but that ominous sound
appearing to come from all around.
How I wish I'd stayed at home!

It dawns on me that I could become prey
to this something that stalks these woods today.
Listen! I think there's more than one...
I stand quite still and around me gaze.
There's nothing to be seen in this vast green maze,
yet my senses urge me to run.

But before I have time to even think,
something I glimpse that's gone in a blink.
A flash of Lincoln Green, I swear,
just shot between ferns and the Major Oak
and just then, to others I'm certain it spoke.
To breathe now, I hardly dare.

So I throw myself down onto hands and knees
and dive beneath the ferns and leaves,
praying I'll be safe in here.
I lie quite still, then begin to choke.
For I find myself suddenly engulfed in smoke,
then hear voices raised in a cheer.

Gingerly emerging from my hidey-hole,
to see steam billowing from a wooden bowl
suspended over a blazing fire,
while all around a raucous gang
of grubby misfits sing and bang
on a drum in their odd attire.

I must have strayed through a chink in time,
and I'm strangely entranced by their haunting rhyme.
It's all becoming so surreal -
the sights, the sounds, the smells of roasting
rabbit flesh and flat bread toasting.
This lifestyle has strange appeal.

As I watch, unseen, a sudden shout
from high in a tree prompts mad dash about.
Then one man grabs arrows and bow.
He shouts a command that the others soon follow,
retrieving their weapons from a dead tree hollow.
And off in stealth they go.

As I watch them leave, the very air
seems to close behind them - I can only stare
at the curious ripple that restores my time.
There's no longer a sign they were ever here -
no cooking pot, fire, nor casket of beer...
just an echo of obsolete rhyme.

 

8 comments:

  1. Edge-of-the-seat stuff. Mixed with your usual brand of humour. I loved the way you conjured those mythical figures in your poem. Many thanks. Really enjoyed it.

    Greetings from London.

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    Replies
    1. So happy you enjoyed it!
      I have had a fascination with the Robin Hood legend since I was a child, but have only just got around to writing about it.
      Thank you so much for reading.:)

      Greetings from a rather wet West Sussex!!

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  2. This is wonderful. Such a great escape. I remember when as a kid it was so much easier to get to the place your words just did...

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    1. Guess there must be a bit of the kid still lingering inside me! Haha :D
      Many, many thanks Anthony.:)

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  3. I want to stay behind that curtain of time. Wishing for simpler times, I still use fire for heat and live as close with nature as I possibly can. Imagination aside, I miss those times from a past life.
    You bring to life the sigh of the wind throught the branches, the whisper of the leaves, the tang of damp earth and the pungence of drifting woodsmoke! The magic of the woodlands!

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    Replies
    1. Oh I wholeheartedly agree!
      It would indeed be wonderful to return to those times of living closer to Nature.
      I spend as much time as possible in the forest without mod cons.
      Many thanks.:)

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  4. Fabulous Ygraine! Truly magic :)

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    Replies
    1. Thank you so much Rose.
      That is so appreciated.:)

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