A Secret Forest
By marandina
- 5360 reads
We landed at Marco Polo,
Azzurri gateway to the North,
clutching passports we passed
bleary-eyed through mundane border checks,
as luggage rolled round.
Peaked cap, whispering cigarette smoke,
hurled cases into the hold,
ushered lines of chattering teens,
one step, two steps,
shuffled along and into seats.
Rolling hills and winding roads,
we watched as morning sun,
mapped its arc across a European sky,
grey urban sprawl and glass,
giving way to Alpine rises.
Birds sang on crowded tree bows,
our cerulean greeting,
wind-swept slopes beckoned.
Raucous, hasty disembarking,
fevered excitement soaking the air.
Ski lifts chugging, hauling, heaving,
smiling, fearless racers to the summit,
oily gears grinding, ropes whirring,
slowly inching over alabaster sheets,
legs outstretched, pointing, leading upwards.
It was at the apex looking back,
I spied the secret forest,
silvery snow drifted, falling silently,
amongst stoical fir trees,
no winter creatures stirred.
For moments in time
I was finally lost
and found in a magical place,
where frozen breath was held
and life was translucent.
Image at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Snow_Scene_at_Shipka_Pass_1.JPG(link is external). Details of owner and license at link. Published at Wiki Commons. Free to share.
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Comments
we find outside oursevles
we find outside oursevles what is within. a secret forest.
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Hi Paul,
Hi Paul,
just love the fine detail in this poem, you captured the essence of that alpine feeling. To escape and picture this magical forest would be so fine,..though I'm not sure about the sking, even as a youngster it never appealed to me.
Nice one.
Jenny.
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This is very magical. Makes
This is very magical. Makes me want to go skiing even though I'd have no courage or the physical ability to go through with it. But oh just to be there in that secret forest.
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Lovely. Love whispering smoke
Lovely. Love whispering smoke and the idea of life being translucent. You painted the picture so well to take us on a little excursion from everything. :)
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This offers an enchanting
This offers an enchanting escape and leaves us a secret forest to imagine. Quite lovely, and is Pick of the Day. Do share on Facebook and Twitter.
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You took me right there with
You took me right there with you - thank you, and congratulations on the very well deserved pick!
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Lovely poem. I was 19 when I
Lovely poem. I was 19 when I first saw the alps. I'll never forget it. You've captured that feeling here.
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Yeah, I was looking into
Yeah, I was looking into doing a trek across a section of the Alps before you know what happened. One day!
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Yep. To be fair, I'd be
Yep. To be fair, I'd be content to spend an afternoon in a beer garden with friends at the mo!
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It reminds me of Siberian
It reminds me of Siberian deserted forests seen on TV programmes, and in stories, when you realised there's no other way you could be there so far from anyone, except in your imagination. Rhiannon
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Nice word usage
Some nice word usage here. Beautiful imagery as well. Maybe you stated it was a poem, but when I opnened the story I was expecting some prose. Very good.
GGHades502
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You have an eye for detail
You have an eye for detail and building the images for the reader.
The last line is a perfect ending: "and life was translucent."
bhi
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That secret forest sounds
That secret forest sounds magical and perhaps a bit like Brigadoon, maybe you were meant to turn at that precise moment to capture a sight you’ll never forget.
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