• This dreary forest, this disastrous wreck with dead trees fallen upon the trail
    Fallen leaves, withered and dead under the soles of my feet
    The hem of my cotton dress so torn and dirty and damp
    Ruby lips as the only reminder of society's burden
    Hair messed and unbrushed for months of apathy
    Bare feet, bleeding from thorns strewn across my destination
    Poppies appearing from the corner of my teary, bleary eyes
    Without a backward glance, but listening to hear your voice
    Another tree, a mighty oak that is now uprooted
    The roots flailing in the air as if to reach the sky
    It's majestic beauty and agelessness of days past
    Leaves slowly turning and dying, this death is fresh
    Green leaves turn dull, then fade to brown
    Leaving decaying matter all about the ground
    The shadows of survivors cover me as if to say
    "We remain, we remain, we remain always and forever"
    This fallen fiend across my path stands in the way
    My future calls to me by name, whispering in my ear
    Promises of happily ever afters to turn bitter
    New beginnings with a sour taste remaining
    This destruction in my way is separating me from this
    My body aches in a silent desperation to cross this obstacle
    Stretching for seemingly miles upon miles, I must imagine
    A first step into the brier and dead leaves on the forest floor
    First blood is drawn from my cheek with a branch snapped back
    And now, a tear in my dress and a rose begins to blossom across one thigh
    Under my naked feet is blood in streaks
    Sharp pain begins it's upward ascension
    Sole, ankle, shin, thigh, waist, breast, throat, now mind
    Grey eyes matching the sky now brimming with tears
    Yet feeling no pain, and taking it all in without shame
    Pale skin and those ruby red lips, matching the cuts and blooming blood
    Reaching further, further into the tangled branches
    Looking for an opening to slip through with ease
    More thorns, more blood
    An intake of breath, another step
    Shredded skin and blood-stained cloth
    The first layer has been obliterated; I'm through
    Hardened skin, insensitive to the stinging pain
    Whilst walking across sharpened, awaiting thorns
    Above the canopy of malnourished leaves and trees
    A cardinal flying so very high above with songs of joyous wonder
    Eyes drawn to this bird, this damned bird of all things
    Bleeding from here and there, ignoring the pulsating blood underneath
    Fascination is drawn to this flighty amazement of ruby
    He soars with that sweet song, not noticing the wretched thing below
    I push thoughts away, into the darkest parts of my mind
    Onward, I walk, to get around this damned tree
    Pushing past more weak branches by the second
    Growing so desperately weary, with bird song in mind
    Alas, the tree has ended, and I venture forth back towards my little route
    The limbs appear thicker and more painful as I approach
    With one final burst of energy, I tumble back onto the worn forest floor
    Absent of all thought and feeling
    Just a senseless urge to go further
    Not even taking a moment to brush the leaves
    Without stopping to take into account every gash
    Dazed and empty eyes focused only on a forward motion
    This dreadful forest without even the pigment of a single flower
    Only ruby lips with a stark contrast to the ever paling skin
    The rosy blood, leaving a tell-tale sign on top of this trail
    Staggering ever forward toward something new
    Without a cause, the cardinal falls from the sky
    Falling downwards by a gravitational pull so powerful
    With a small thump, into a bloody footprint
    Just escaping the shadow of a ghost fading into the forest