Woodland in Splendour

Branches- pendulous and jewelled-
Leaf dots of orange and yellow,
Stippled against silvery papered
Slender trunks;
The birch- a key player on the woodland edge;
Along the track we
Descend steeply into
The dense forest-
Alight with fiery glow
Above the wide smooth trunks of beech;
A kaleidoscope of colour-
Ambers and tortoiseshell-
Vintage greens and golds
Knit the canopy above
Like fairy lights;
Dense Holly 
Statuesque below 
Holds bright berries above 
Glossy leaves
The woodland floor
Is carpeted by a
Deep dry fallen leaves
Bright limed fronds of ferns and moss
Cling to the forest banks
The purple smudges of whortleberries
Are long gone 
Glimpsed through broken foliage 
Filigreed fingers
Across the valley
Where Bare trees
Naked 
Line the ridge 
Their form with distinct shapes
Textbook drawn.
Woodland in splendour.