Walking in a misty forest
Confident footsteps
When the path is easy
Tick         thud        crunch
Of poles on the ground
Creaking pack straps
Fabric swishing
Footsteps meeting the earth
Deep stillness of an
Early morning beech forest
Connected to the great silence
Of the universe
And within

No wind
Occasional buzz
Of an early wasp
or two
Last night’s rain drops
Drip
from the canopy above

Then the path goes steeply
Downhill
Slippery roots
Slippery rocks
Steep tree-strewn drop
On my side

Fear and anxiety
Make their presence known
Uncertain footsteps
The memory of yesterday
Alive
Throbbing
In my cells
As this part seems
To go on
Forever

Back to the still forest
Not quite so still anymore
The wasps’ buzzing
Has now swollen
To a chorus
An ever-present hum

Single bird calls
Refresh the air
Bellbird, grey warbler, tomtit

Stunning beauty
Vibrant greens
Mosses, lichen,
After the overnight rain

The final descent
Is a beauty
Once again
But thankfully
The forest floor is dry
And I feel I can trust
My feet
And the ground
Once again