…that howl in my mind

Everyone has a dark hour, an adrenaline driven descent
there is no map out of here, no compass points, no true north
Polaris has abandoned the night
I am deep in the woods now and darkness falls like an axe
this is fear, this is terror
a panic so complete, it fills my veins with ice
I am not alone in this wilderness
the beasts that howl in my mind are now gnashing their teeth
and sharpening their claws
suddenly becoming flesh and blood
now running from shadows without a source
my legs heavy with exhaustion, stumbling over roots and rocks
hands and knees scraped raw, eyes stinging with unshed tears
the night is a blanket soft and dark, holding me close to the earth
whispering secrets I cannot hear in an all-pervading silence
suddenly a trembling note from somewhere in the dark
the sweet song of a nightingale raising his voice in the moment
filling the void with light
now from the dark depths of these tangled woods
I see the way out, a shaft of light
and one step after another
I turn my back upon the night
©Ann Bagnall