A Winters Walk in the Witches Wood

something for Halloween

fingers run through your hair,
a kiss, 'Good morning, I love you,
lets go for a walk today'.

eyes glare, wanting to sleep,
day in bed, days in bed,
'It's cold outside....'


skin shivers as water washes,
you are awake now,
body beautiful, wrapped in towels.

breakfast fills inside,
we are warm together,
winter falls outside our window.


boots slide on,
gloves, scarves and woolly hat,
all wrapped up.

leaving our home,
door closed, wishing us back,
hand in hand we move.

through roads, pathways,
muddied tracks to the wood,
breath blows chilled.

bowed trees form a walkway,
enticing us forward,
we are bonded by love.

into a new world we trek,
silence greets us,
eeire weirdness awaits.

pick a flower for a buttonhole,
smile for a sneaky kiss,
air becomes heavy in mist.

sudden darkness, we huddle,
in the place by the tower,
dead plants all around.

crack, snap and crackle,
upon us is she, dark laughter,
makes the wood shake.

'What brings you here,
with happiness and light?
That is not the spirit of my home'.

we shudder, stand scared,
the witch casts her spell,
trying to send us to dark depths of hell.

together we scream,
not sure of escape,
as we run and shout to find a way out.

when we do the sun shines,
resting in each others arms,
away from the wood, in each other's charms.

Reviews

[R J Askew]

I see the wood as a state of mind. Everything feels fine and normal up until 'bowed trees form a walkway' when things start to close in. Sudden darkness could be the onset of a depression. Like 'What brings you hear with happiness and light?' The witch seems almost reasonable. It is we who walk into her estate, not her who comes after us. But we escape... This time! 'Silence greets us' is a key line, as silence undermines and unhinges, especially in woods and other dark places where we might feel lost. The Germans are very keen on woods I believe. We Brits have chopped all ours down. The tower seems to be a forbidding power. The dead plants seem to suggest nature's fertility thwarted, the opposite result to what love hopes for. Enjoyed the read. Like the subtle shift from the comfort and certainty at the the top to the opposite.

[The Uncommon Muse]

I loved this piece. My heart began to race as I read and the scene got darker and I had to read faster to find out how it would end. Great vivid imagery with such concise wording.

[Sam Severn]

I love the witchy feel n' the wicked way some verses rhyme, some don't. Great, great stuff!

[Xx His Wifey xX]

this is a really good poem i like it alot you are very talented in my eyes

[Deaths Cold Kiss]

this is really good, i like it

[J.E. Stroud]

Wonderful. I love the plummet, the uncertainty both in happiness and fear.

[Jenny Nelson]

I really liked this. I started off smiling with someone grudgingly getting out of bed, and then still smiling at a pleasant walk in the woods. Then you completely changed the feel and "grabbed" the reader making them want to run out of the woods with you. Relieved "when we do the sun shines, resting in each others arms,
away from the wood, in each others charms." Way to convey a feeling/mood.

[imawriter]

Your poem resonates like the beats of a chant. It first casts its dreamy spell of the warmth between lovers, then cools and makes you shiver to the chants of something not liking that warmth. But of course springs loving warmth always melts the hateful cold of winters snow and ice.. hehe.. well done! Keep writing and I will keep reading.

[K.D.Storm]

This is cool! I like it.

[Nix]

This is like a distant fairytale mixed with a witchy (is that even a word?!) tragedy... reminds me of the film 'Brothers Grimm', of course there's always a happy ending... right?! :) Loved the image you provoked of perfect lovers in their own little world. A great Halloween piece - sorry I'm a little late!

[Sean Eddingfield]

Ex-wives will do that to you...