Trek Through the Tethered Wood

Winding path through the tawny wood Hanging branches form a shadowy hood Dangling vines each spindled fold lace Slippery, svelte moss cloaks the base The vented light peeps through fibrous trellis Addled mind with beauty to encase Swerving shadows creep down the swaying lattice Each truncated step to efface Fallen leaves weave a sprawling mat Soft soles o'er silky fibers prat Trodding o'er tender mushrooms, rendered scat Listless feet trample each groove; probe each slat Restless roots the rugged edges trace The undergrowth crowds the shrinking space Meandering route into sleepy hollow careens Whittled bushes, saw grass the stillness gleans Through the swaddled cradle padded soles calmly pace The rhythmic lullaby of whistling wind heart doth embrace Through stunted hollow into bracketed thicket Spiny branches throw up a cumbersome picket Each spiked shrub colludes to form a sticky wicket Bristling, twining band is serenaded by singing cricket Struggling through the gristly garden My stinging heels bleed for reprieve, pardon Just ahead, a carpeted, emerald meadow streams My sodden feet dance into the velvety seams