Wednesday September 25th, 2013

The exercise:

Write about: the creature in the woods.

Harvested for a bakery and a (last minute) restaurant order this morning before making the deliveries and running a few errands this afternoon. It was quite chilly out there, especially when the wind was blowing.

You'd think it was fall or something.

Mine:

I know it's out there.

There are no snapping twigs, no rustle of fur against tree trunks. It is not so foolish as to allow me to hear it breathing. Shadows and silence, that is all I see and hear.

But I know it's out there. Waiting. Watching.

It thinks it is hunting me, stalking my every move. Noting habits and patterns. Forcing itself to be patient, to stay hidden until the moment to strike arrives. To ignore the hunger clawing at its belly. Conserving its strength for the final attack.

It thinks it knows me.

We shall see about that. Soon enough, we shall see.

2 comments:

Greg said...

I rather like the departure of summer :) And it's a good excuse to get the winter jumpers out and start wearing all the comforting clothes!
I sometimes wonder how hostile Canada is to its inhabitants, given that there's never anything nice lurking in your woods... but then I'm no better in my writing, I suppose!

The creature in the woods
It's a fence, it's a boundary,
Trees grow right up to the edge.

Easterly winds bring strange scents,
Attractive to a sensitive nose.
Tiny paws housing giant claws
Shuffle through leaf mould and detritus.

Rustling does not betray its presence,
Alert to such signs, it moves when
Branches creak and the wind sighs.
Brave men clutch each other when its eyes,
Icy as the Winter's heart, fall upon them.
Tremble, hide or flee, it doesn't care.
Skulking in the woods, it belongs there.

Marc said...

Greg - eh, friendly, fluffy creatures are less fun to write about. In my humble opinion :P

Almost missed that yours was an acrostic first time through. Certainly puts a different spin on the contents of the poem :D