Ancient mountain’s on the horizon, beckoning’s of eternal slumber. Sombre skies cloaked by starlight, the genesis of a new days sunrise. 

Spindle berries gleam, vibrant jewels. 

Silken spun spider webs, luster morning dew.

Fragmented beams of light glare through sun glazed branches. 

Brittle, withering autumn leaves dance peacefully to their demise, resting motionlessly on the camouflage beneath, corroding into nothingness. 

But the strong, archaic oak tree stands tall, deeply rooted, unchanged.

Shafts of light
Through cathedral windows,
Dappled shade
Upon the leaves
Beneath my feet.
Bird song in the branches above.

In the distance
Hind and fawn
Cross the forest track,
The sweet fragrance of autumn
Fills the misty air.

A gentle breeze
Moving colours
To the forest floor.

So precious
Such beauty,
So hard to find
Such peaceful sanctuary.

Bright red poppies
lasting but a day.
Leaves turning orange
Autumn's on its way.

Dancing yellow daffodils 
swaying in the breeze.
The lush green meadows
and the leaves upon the trees.

A pretty blue butterfly
on the forget-me-not.
The colour of indigo
is very hard to spot.

The sweet-smelling violet
so pretty and so small.
Growing in the woodland
the loveliest wildflower of all. 

The pond in summer. Sun beams, reflections ripple,
basking carp meander under the surface sheen.
A skittish breeze creates a stir in the willows, 
tickling the sedges and tousling the grasses.
A languid afternoon. I wait here, patiently.
He will appear soon, he has to. He is driven.

Millions of years of fine-tuning and tweaking
have led to this creature at this very moment. 
High above the water, he helicopters in.
Time is short; eggs to protect, rivals to bully.
He scrutinises me, composite eye to eye,
then dismisses me, disdainfully, and moves on.

I struggle to keep up as he hovers around,
darting and chasing; his armour plating intense
with iridescence; his topaz eyes, all seeing, 
all knowing; his four miracle wings. Oh, the wings
of finest filigree, positioned perfectly
to drive his exquisite aeronautic displays. 

He continues the endless patrol of his realm,
working constantly; bustling, vicious, aggressive, 
powerful and loaded with furious intent.
Whether food or foe, avoid him, show some respect.

Departing, I glance back. He’s hanging in the air.  
The Emperor; seeing me off the premises.

A pretty stream runs through this wonderful place,
With the trees in the wood and the flowers like lace,
There are toadstools in their fairy rings,
All kinds of birds you can hear them sing,
The pheasants scatter, run and fly,
And a kingfisher sits on a branch up high,
I can see a woodpecker on the same tree,
And there’s a water rat quite close to me,
What’s that in the bushes that I can hear,
I can’t believe it, it’s a beautiful deer,
He’s now bolted off and run away,
I’d love to see him on another day.

In the beginning nothing was heard
All was silent, not a word
‘til the word Bird sang
And the world began

She sang the rivers, she sang the streams
She sang the sky and she sang your dreams
Oh the word bird sang
And the world began..

She sang the sunlight, she sang the hours
She sang the rainbows, she sang the flowers
Oh the word bird sang
And the world began..

She sang the meadows, she sang the trees
She sang the hills, she sang the leaves
Oh the word bird sang
And the world began..

She sang horizons, she sang deep seas
She sang the shore, she sang the breeze
Oh the word bird sang
And the world began..

She sang the evening, she sang twilight
She sang the moonshine, she sang the night
Oh the word bird sang
And the world began..

She sang the wonder, she sang the stars
She sang all creatures in this world of ours
Oh the word bird sang
And the world began

She sang the love and the feeling that starts
Of happiness deep in the well of our hearts

Oh the word bird sang
And the world began
The world began
when the word bird sang.

© Sally Crabtree
With kind permission of the poet. Please visit her website here.

The Heart of England Forest
Their woods I love the best.
When it’s time to breathe 
And a chance to see
Nature at its best.

For me I love to go and explore
All the sights, the sounds, the smells
With my tail a wagging, and ball in mouth
It’s my Labrador nose that excels.

For my human she comes to enjoy
The chance to walk on pastures new
To take the path less trodden 
In dappled sunshine or morning dew.

The Heart of England Forest
Felix’s glorious vision
Giving us enchanted forests
For us all to stop and breathe in.

Follow Beau the Explorer on Instagram @beautheexplorer