The drip of rain lulls him to slumber. Pine and loam enclose him in a soft, dark bed. He is swallowed by the earth. Taken deep. Dreams leak into the sediment. The forest whispers what he sees in his sleep. His bones and blood mend. His soul recovers. He rests in the old way, and when it is time, the forest will shake him awake again.
Paddy Dobson
31st December 2022