Why are the woods so alluring?
A forest appears
to a young girl one morning as
she combs
the dreams out of her hair.
The trees rustle
and whisper, shimmer and hiss.
The forest
opens and closes, a door loose
on its hinges,
banging in a strong wind.
Everything in the dim
kitchen: the basin, the jug,
the skillet, the churn,
snickers scornfully. In this
way a maiden
is driven toward the dangers
of a forest,
but the forest is our subject,
not this young girl.
She’s glad to lie down with
trees towering all around.
A certain euphoria sets in.
She feels molecular,
bedeviled, senses someone
gently pulling her hair,
tingles with kisses she won’t
receive for years.
Three felled trees, a sort of
chorus, narrate
her thoughts, or rather
channel theirs through her,
or rather subject her to their
peculiar verbal
restlessness ... our
deepening need for non-being intones
the largest and most decayed
tree, mid-sentence.
I’m not one of you
squeaks the shattered sapling,
blackened by lightning. Their
words become metallic
spangles shivering the air.
Will I forget the way home?
the third blurts. Why do I
feel like I’m hiding in a giant’s nostril?
the oldest prone pine wants to
know. Are we being freed
from matter? the sapling
asks. Insects are well-intentioned,
offers the third tree, by way
of consolation. Will it grow
impossible to think a thought
through to its end? gasps the sapling,
adding in a panicky voice,
I’m becoming spongy! The girl
feels her hands attach to some
distant body. She rises
to leave, relieved these trees
are not talking about her.
Bon Courage by Amy Gerstler, via 1
The Outfit:
Hobbs Red Coat: passed down from Granny Penny
Breton Dress, underneath: charity shop
Black lace tights: from the High Street
Hunter wellies: from Ebay
The Soundtrack:
Beth Gibbons & Rustin' Man: Autumn Leaves
Photos taken using the self timer on my little camera.
Just a quick post today as I'm very behind on everything blog related, but glad to be back.
More soon.
I am delighted to be a part of the next Visible Monday, hosted by Patti from Not Dead Yet Style, click on the website link to see her outfit and those of many others.
