UNDER THE DEAD WOOD

A log lay dormant on the ground,
many years it has laid there,
aged bark ripped from its flesh,

hidden beneath the dead wood,
is another very extreme world,
a dangerous world,
one which has survived in darkness,

woodlice munch on rotting bark,
a centipede struggles
in battle with a passer by
for a piece of the action,

a spider ignores them
going on its way
struggling through the dead wood,

suddenly there is a rustling sound
coming from above,
the spider stops
does not move,
the woodlice curl into a ball
protected by their hard shell,

the centipede's are very still
their battle long forgotten,
a sense of alien movement
from up above,

leaves are tossed here and there,
bits of dead wood picked at
then thrown to one side,
they wait in silence
as blackbird hops about,
listening carefully for
any signs of food.