Into the Forest--A Filamental Emblem

Into the forest, woods, copse (a word that

echoed eerily with corpse  in my young

fears), grove, stand. Into draped darkness of mat-

ted needles, falcon leaves, where branches hung

with shadows shelter greens-to-black, where light

splays tricks and builds from nothingness threaten-

ing monsters couchant, where blue-violet-

purple-green hovers just beyond lengthen-

ing day. Into the forest, where sun-heat

boils butterscotch from puzzle-pine bark

too hard to touch, where dawn-dew moulders wheat-

chaff dust to black, and moonlight stains wine-dark.

Into the forest, where colors blend art-

lessly into dark mystery at the heart.