…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
one step after another
I turn my back upon the night
©Ann Bagnall