Friday, October 13, 2006

The Forest

Each step crunches twigs
I'm self-conscious,
guilty almost,
as though they were
bird bones

On the edge, between
forest and clearing.
The trees grow quiet
and still when I come.
Hold their breath,
wait for me to leave,
to continue their
whispered conversations.

It is a great, dark lung,
breathing imperceptibly,
soundlessly and windlessly,
drawing me in,
expelling me,
rhythmically

The bright, open clearing
is near; it welcomes me.
But the tangled,
mysterious forest
invites me.

8 comments :

Lief said...

ahhhh, very nice.
I could just about smell the green.

Anonymous said...

You are a good writer!

Amboy Observer said...

Thank you!

Anonymous said...

FOrgive me but I'm not sure if you posted it only or wrote it!

It is beautiful to me and resonates with my soul. Nice work James I like your style!

Aunt Jane

Amboy Observer said...

Yes, I wrote it, and thank you very much for your enthusiastic response. It does me no end of good.

Anonymous said...

Very talented indeed!

Tom

the_pope_of_chilitown said...

Let me chime in here late in the game, but this is very nice! I didn't know you were a poet, you ol' dog!
This reminds me a bit of Theodore Roethke, specifically the nature poems. Like this one: http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/cuttings-later/
Cheers!
-Jerod

Amboy Observer said...

What a compliment! It literally suffuses me with pleasure to have my writing thought to even hint at Roethke.
Cool link too. I'll have to spend some time there at poemhunter.