Undulating with twist and turn Snake like It stretches out before Steeply banked on either side Afforded by An occasional glimpse Punctuating the line As gateways Open Across the valley slopes Soft green and pastoral To the filigreed trees on the Opposite ridge Before leaning Once again Into the depths of the sunken world Footworn Dark and closed Deep and secluded where air is stilled Hidden With an ancient feel Of ferns and moss where brown leaves Sweet and dark conceal And fronds of the Harts tongue Spit Acid green Above Polygonum tightly coiled And something scuttles unseen with just the slightest rustle And gone As there’s everywhere to hide Everywhere to go A sharp call Draws attention skyward Some 12 feet along the top of the hedge Fieldfares - a flock Bounce along in flight From tree to tree like a sentence running to a full stop always just ahead Never far away Home is just ahead But I am far away.
Ruth Partridge 