Howl

A million years howl
When voices whisper among the trees
We are on the forest floor
Looking up
The leaves are crisp and brown
Spidery veins patterned from root to tip
We collect them up
They are like ancient paper in our hands
Stories unfolding
Wishes scattered
Our feet ache from the wooded path
We imagine taking off our shoes and socks
Let the moss cushion our steps
The damp ground moisten our blisters
But we decide to keep walking
Following the path
Listening to the trees
It is as if it has always been
And will continue to be
An owl hoots in the distance
We would like to see his wings unfold
As he flies off to the moon
But he is too quick for us
All we can feel is his song
The trees are full of life
They breathe and dance
They have borne witness to many a traveller
And dreamer
They are a guide and a light
They understand the whispers
Absorb up all the howls
We are glad to tread this path
It will lead us to morning
And carry us home.