Our Fairytale Forests (many pictures)

[Steve Arnold]

Wow, these are all incredibly beautiful. I love the first set with the fog, I also really like the second and third ones in the second set, especially that old gnarled tree, it really does have a fairy tale look.

[Karen]

Shhhh, do not move
The mist that shrouds the autumn forest
Conceals all manner of mystery
Cooling the embers of autumns flame bright colors
To a quieter hue, dulled within the fog
The ghosts of winter lurk beyond the treeline
The songbirds all have fled
And even those sturdy ones
That winter within these glades are silent
Like the fog has swallowed their songs
And forced them into deeper thickets beyond our gaze
And realms beyond our ken
The leaves that just yesterday crackled underfoot
Are now mute, and slippery underfoot
And their decay is hastened, joyful color drained
Meaning every step is risky, and you know
Despite protestation of your modern mind
That in these woods
Shrouded in mist and moisture
Monsters lurk, between the ghostly branches
Barely visible in the near distance ...
Shhhh is that quiet snap of twig
An innocent rabbit passing by
Or is it, indeed the only sign you'll get
Of that which lurks amidst the mists
Just waiting for that one missed step, that one
"let me walk a bit further ..."
That will leave you
Haunting the autumn woods for
Future unwary passersby ...

[cloverfdx]

Gorgeous photos as always Kirsten. I too never tire looking at your work .

[Karen]

Enter, if you dare
Into forest primeval
Stream of light just highlight
The depth of darkness within
Tread carefully over moss and
Uneven, untouched ground
Never manicured or managed
And beware ...
Of old roots that lurk and trip
Of creatures hidden within the woods
Busy at their lives so removed from ours
Tread quietly, and still your breathing
Listen for the birds you cannot see
The songs embedded within this place
The whispers of humans who passed long ago
Stories exchanged away from others
Whispers of love
Echos of the sobs of those who sheltered here
Seeking comfort in the steadiness of trees
Tread softly, for this, as much as any cathedral or
Man-made fortress against the world
This, I know in my bones,
Is sacred space.

[Lady's Human]

I love the pictures, as always Kirsten.

Germany's forests always struck me as very well managed, but I just can't forget waking up in a hammock several feet off the ground, looking down and seeing a pack of wild hogs trying to figure out how to get me down and unwrap me.

[phesina]

Stunning photographs.. as always, Kirsten; thank you!

Such atmosphere..

[Kirsten]

Thank you very much, cloverfdx and Pat!

Lady's Human, you are so right; I'm always concerned about the wild hogs!

Karen, these poems are just stunning; they speak of mystery and the essence of nature itself. They should be read at the fires at night.