Hideaway Places

my footsteps carry me beyond the forest veil

full of stories untold

hideaway places

and meetings after sundown

roots curl and coil above ground

toppling each other for a chance to tell secrets of

mysteries buried deep within

carry me forward on these dirt roads

when the water rises to the left and right

green moss and fallen pine

prickly palm leaves wave and dance with the wind

arched tree branches are pathways to streams

and discarded seashells, left by critters who feast in the night

my timid footsteps try not to wake any gator sleeping in the marsh

remnants of brick buildings from past wars

spirits holding on to a life once lived

it’s all memories here

dense and stuck within the rotting oak

hollow now and home to prey of

mightier beasts

a hiding place for acorns and dried up leaves

tiny sticks lead to bones

returning back to the earth

my feet tire now as I make my way back home

A poem by: Aiysha Sinclair

Photos in the collage are taken from my own walks in the forests in Savannah, GA.