A Stroll in the Woods

A Stroll in the Woods

Fragments of skeletal dead leaves decaying,
concealing the ravenous rampaging hordes,
trod by an unthinking walker surveying,
heedless of hideous insect death-chords.

Monstrous and steady, his slow walk progresses.
Unknowing, uncaring... all nameless things
scatter before him, avoid where he presses,
cringing as each ghastly victim's voice sings.

In sudden silence the whole forest cowers,
as the monstrosity pauses his pace,
dreading the awful cylindrical towers
carelessly crushing those in the wrong place.

Each step he takes startles small wretched creatures,
frantic to vanish before fates unknown.
Death haunts their future if his next choice features
ominous steps to the spot where they've flown.

As he starts moving, the monster steps rumble,
dooming the fate of the souls in his path.
Callously stamping, he sends legions tumbling,
more creeping creatures encounter the wrath.

On go the footfalls, deep into the forest,
leaving behind all the wounded and dead.
Misery comes to the weakest and poorest
when those with power don’t care where they tread.


* Sharp-eyed reviewers may recognize this as a modification of the H. P. Lovecraft variation from Variations - 'The Road Not Taken' .  I have decided to separate it out for now and try to get it published as is.