Ghosts in the Forest
Soft sodden air of the twilit forest
Snap of fallen drops, formed of mist and pines
Rain-blackened trunks parade down-slope
Pale bleached-yellow of fern
Like spirits of their brown bracken brothers
Wraiths of mist hang and sweep through the rain-dark trees
Flash of white, a pause, ghostly gray
The deer halt and look, surprised as I,
So silently we have ambled
Together we appear as apparitions, frightened and curious
Silently they step and watch, a jump, a leap
Ghosts gone as if never there
A snap of twig betrays, the dog takes notice
She too respects stealth and caution, watches but does not pursue.
The dark air still heavy with sodden cool air
More snap of drops and dense silence
The forest acquiesces, time and all of us move on.
