Darkling the night spins its web of stars,
Hazy the moon in its tangerine shroud.
Owl Woman calls out from the forest deep:
Waken, all dreamers, from your sleep.
I rise, all unwilling, from my wildish dreams.
The midnight is peopled with wild creatures' screams.
The trees lie in wait with their strangling roots,
ready to trip my scruffy boot.
The forest moans low as the fog moves in.
When I look up, the starry heavens spin.
Dark and drear, the ground I tread upon;
When I turn to go back, the path is gone.
Originally posted in 2014 for a prompt at Real Toads, am re-posting for the Poetry Pantry at Poets United. I will be away babysitting all day, but will make the rounds to visit all of you when I get home later this afternoon.
You have really set an eerie scene here, Sherry. Quite frightening to be trapped in the middle of the forest among all the strange sights and sounds!
ReplyDeleteSo fine!
ReplyDeleteForest moans low as the fog moves in..love that.
ReplyDeleteAh. Spooky. I loved the dark imagery. My favorite bit: "Hazy the moon in its tangerine shroud".
ReplyDelete-HA
Belated halloween!
ReplyDeleteBeautifully eerie. A fascinating read :)
ReplyDeleteSeductive as the call the forest is not being able to find your way out in the fog would be quite frightening. Time to stay calm and wait and enjoy the forest in its intimacy.
ReplyDeletehmm, what are you doing out there in the night?
ReplyDeletelove the cadence and rhyme of the poem, very effective for the mood. :)
In some ways the loss of that path feels like a good thing...like she will be more certain of her steps..that owl will guide her and the dream will last even in waking...i hope..i hope...and gorgeous photo as well...you can feel her...
ReplyDeleteAn eerie poem but also with a dreamy mood beckoning me on that journey to the forest to see its wonders just still a little afraid of the dark....perhaps the thought of losing the path left me a little afraid. But there are so many to lead the way especially moon and owl! Maybe I am being called by owl to step onto a new path....really loved this one Sherry!
ReplyDeleteThe strength of the form gives the poem a feel of the classics. I love the title and the description of setting makes this a treat for the mind's eye.
ReplyDeleteWonderfully eerie.. the sense of being trapped in the forest is so palpable. Excellent write :D
ReplyDeleteLots of love,
Sanaa
lovely descriptive poem and the rhymes are so good because unobtrusive - finding your own path back through the forest needs owl eyes!
ReplyDeleteThat photo you found of the owl on the branch is amazing.
ReplyDeleteYou had me at the title! :)
ReplyDeleteThis tells like a ghost-story, but in reality I see other ways we might loose our paths.. and nature has its own way of telling us so I think.
ReplyDeleteLove the image 'Darkling the night spins its web of stars,'. Such rich imagery lives in this poem, Sherry.... Another one fave 'When I look up, the starry heavens spin' ~ nice case of vertigo....~ hope you enjoyed your day.
ReplyDeleteWhile this has a dark side it is really about awakening your dreams. Sometimes the path is hard to see and we just need starlight to help us find the way.
ReplyDeleteOhhhh, I like!
ReplyDeleteBrilliant! I think that last line is life...when I turn back - as if we can - the path has disappeared. You cannot go home again. So true, a little sad, but this is it!
ReplyDeleteWonderful imagery in this. Eerie and yet, dreamy - not nightmarish. I am an insomniac and often wander about at night. I think of nights I've wandered about while it was snowing - standing and watching, seeing the snow filling up my footsteps, making the choice to see my traces erased. Really liked this one.
ReplyDeleteHi Sherry, hope you are doing great. I was very much irregular for some days. Hope I'll be able to catch up with all the wonderful posts in PU now...:-)
ReplyDeleteI loved the way you've described the night and its ambiance. Especially this line,"The midnight is peopled with wild creatures' screams"..with this line the whole forest came alive...
Sherry you are a master at the mystical, magical senses. I slipped into this dream so easily. Wonderful write!
ReplyDeleteThis is a wonderful primal/mystic bit of writing ... loaded with nocturnal images (I agree with Toni: eerie not nightmarish) that heighten the "senses-on-high-alert" vibe you've infused the piece with. Awesome rhyming and cadence. And that last line ... it is as though, you've set your readers up and then: BOO! Ha! This was a treat to read - and beautiful, to boot!
ReplyDelete'the path is gone'
ReplyDeleteHow often one gets surprised by unexpected events not going our way. Gets frustrating obviously! Insightful write Sherry!
Hank
'the path is gone'
ReplyDeleteHow often one gets surprised by unexpected events not going our way. Gets frustrating obviously! Insightful write Sherry!
Hank
Nice. I like the feel of this, and how well you know what the owl dreams. But, I can't believe you would ever lose your path.
ReplyDeleteLike that atmospheric sense that holds this together so well. I am an owl person,
ReplyDeleteElizabeth
I will echo "eerie" and fantastic!
ReplyDeletehow about that the path is gone; Now your obvious option is to stay, however a dreamer's option allows creation of new paths
ReplyDeleteSherry thanks for dropping in at my Sunday Lime
much love...
Cool - I love that final line!
ReplyDeleteThere is an eerie feel to it, but that adds to its mystic beauty. Have a great day :-)
ReplyDelete