:lol:
I walk through the woods
I step quietly
Slightly afraid
Awen-struck
At this place
I stop suddenly
Hearing a distant sound
What might it be?
It's not a bird
Is it a wild thing?
I hope it's not mad at me
For walking in these woods
I walk on slowly
Timidly now
May I pass?
I ask a tree
I almost bashed into you
You mighty oak
I am sorry.
"You may pass"
Whispers the wind
"Go now, friend of the forest"
"Go on, along this path"
"Find out what that sound is now"
And so I walk on
Still afraid
But the trees have said for me to move
Through their home
The forest, so I do
I hear nothing now
The sound is gone
Straight ahead I walk
For the path is wider there
I walk for a time
Then I come upon
A clearing in this wood.
I see a circle of trees
I see a piece of stone
It must be a sacred grove, I think
I turn around to flee
The wind speaks to me once more
"Do not flee, green one"
And so I freeze in place
Suddenly a figure appears
Like magic from the trees
Tall and slender
Male or female I am not sure
Wearing green and brown clothes
Very light a-foot
The magic being springs
To the centre of the circle
Holds up a staff
At which I stare
The staff is carved
With strange and awesome runes
I look away, afraid to see
But the voice makes me turn back
A male voice, now I notice
The staff is held up to the sky
In his long slender hands
His face upturned
He begins to chant
A haunting song
That makes me freeze
In my tracks with dread
His song rises in intensity
In volume too
He seems to dance though he stays still
Upon the forest floor
What is he doing?
I wonder to myself
What is he chanting?
Suddenly he notices me
Standing at the edge
Of his little clearing
He finishes his song
Then he turns to me
And says in a voice like whispering leaves
"Why don't you come in?"
I stand there unable to speak
Mute as I have ever been
Though I normally love to talk
Like a little chatterbox
My chatter fails me this time
My tongue is locked
I cannot utter a word
And so he smiles and says
"Take this staff I hold
Take it into your hands
Hold it to the sky
And you will find your voice"
He holds it out to me
I try to take it
But my hands are stiff and won't hold
I register the feel of the staff
Lovely hardwood
Maybe maple?
All carved and beautiful
I fear to drop it
In my clumsiness
"Take it, it won't drop"
He reassures me
And so I do
I hold it in my hands
They clutch around it
And suddenly, the man is gone!
The forest whispers to me
"He's not man, he's elf"
And the staff is warm in my hands
With the spirit of that maple tree
I hold it and wonder why
I have been handed this gift
Me, just a person
Not an elf, not a druid really
I am only a mere mortal
"Hold it up"
The trees command
So I clutch the staff
In both my hands
Fear and resolve war in my heart
And then I raise it up
And cry out Nature's song,
AWEN!
Hmmm, was I supposed to copyright it? Everybody else seems to date and copyright theirs...so:
Copyright September 24, 2004
There.
Green Druid

