| I was at the foot of a hill that the woods sit upon, and clothe right down to the edge of the meadows that surround it. The lane carries on climbing up the left hand side of the wood to join another road at the top that then runs left to right through the middle of it. I could go that way, or I could go that way!
That way, was a patch of darkness, that distinguished itself from the surrounding darkness, by being several degrees darker, it was dark! That way turned out to be the entrance to a footpath. It was a little overgrown, probably overlooked by most that come here, as they come in cars, and this way isn�t near a car park. I pushed my way in. I hadn�t seen dark like this for a while. Disorientated, I stood for a while, waiting for my eyes to adjust to even less light. Panther like, I moved noiselessly forward, every sense alive to the night and the wood, I moved as one that is at One with nature, it�s child, I was the wood! The reality was of course a little less poetic, and involved a good deal more thrashing around in total blackness trying not to fall over. It was black as ink, and just as wet! On this edge of the wood there are two or three houses that border onto it, not wishing to stray into someone else�s night I kept them to my right, and passed on into the wood. Movement was slow, the ground is uneven, there are roots, wet branches whipping the air, and fallen ones testing your feet. In time, I found myself on a broad track that I recognised from day light visits here with Brightness. It leads from the road through the wood, to one of the houses behind me. I followed the track to the road. At the road, the wood stops abruptly, incised from itself it rears up, skywards, branches arch up and over, interlacing fingers with it�s separated self standing opposite beyond the tarmac, a tunnel! If the constant work required to maintain the road were to cease, it wouldn�t take long for the wood to take back what was it�s own. The road knows this, and lonely in the night shimmers. I cross the doomed road and pass into the tree line opposite. A feeling of arrival occurs, and then one of �what now?� follows. Moving a little deeper in, and further from the road I have the answer. My journey here has prepared me, opened ways within as surely as ways were followed to get here. Following the ways I shed my skin, clad myself with sky, and dance. A stranger to this sort of thing, and not knowing the steps, I improvise, and open myself to the sky. The rain falls, sieved through the canopy of Beech and Oak, caught in my own, shining my skin, a smoother wetness amongst the watching trees. The wind pushes lulls and sweeps me into shapes I follow, exhilaration courses through the air, through me. Returning to Earth, first I lie, then kneel, trying to open myself further to what is flowing here. Rich mould nurtures and cleanses me, I am grateful. This is not a time to try and understand, or qualify, but one to surrender to and follow, secret and sacred. I came when you called ancient voice, I listened and answered the deep thrill this time. I found the way you�d set, alive to its vibration. I received your blessings and am grateful�Thankyou, thankyou, thankyou. Retracing my steps away from the woods I feel peaceful, and I know that I am different, within, to how I was just a short while ago. I have opened, and recognise connections that patiently have waited to be noticed, elemental voices remind me of the chords of wind and rain, sky and Earth that sound in me. With shining face, and shining soul, I tread my way home. |