A Walk in the Woods on Earth Day

It begins with an arrow and a rusty chain

rusty padlocks on the pump-house.

Unseen birds call from high in an old coppice

rivulets and moss-covered walls criss-cross the woodland

trees have fallen across the paths and the brook

ferns unscroll and bluebells reflect the sky.

Ancient oaks shelter spring flowers.

Honeysuckle, moss and ivy clothe a dead stump.

A Laocoön moment!

A stone bridge spans the brook.
A little further down the valley, the water disappears into the ground, leaving a dry stony bed.

Near the bottom of the woodland a derelict lime kiln is almost hidden behind a curtain of ivy.