Ancient ivy vines meet and twine,

Spiralling upwards from roots in the ground,

Never a sever can break the chain,

In time they will regrow and meet again.

The air smells earthy, damp and rich,

The ground feels soft beneath my feet,

A leaf-light dapples on mossy ground,

And energy bursts from every sound.

Carpets of mosses, grasses and ferns,

Cover the floor of this old ancient ruin,

A homestead built deep in the heart of the wood;

For safety, protection, resources and food.

Only the rounds of boulders remain,

Remnants of walls that once marked home,

Protecting its dwellers from unwelcome foe,

A place of pure magic from a long time ago.

A stack of boulders with mosses and trees,

Moulded round over thousands of years,

Made here or sailed here from over the sea,

These stalwarts of time are a treasure to see.

Granite from lava with feldspar and quartz,

In mottled pink, white, black and grey,

Silica-rich magma from the depths of the earth,

These masters are here to stay.

A wall once sturdy with a big wooden door,

A medieval village on the edge of the moor,

Accessed via holloway or an old sunken lane,

It must have felt good to be home again.

Soaking up rainfall and moisture for soil,

Mosses help plants to grow healthy and tall,

Filtering water through spongy mounds,

A sign that you are walking on ancient ground.

Mycorrhizal fungi grows deep in the earth,

The optic cables of the wood wide web,

Sharing goodness and nutrients with surrounding trees,

Fruits of mushrooms send out spores on the breeze.

Heart shaped leaves on a thin straight stem,

Reaching out to catch the sun,

A delicate plant with dainty graces,

Grows in rich soil and shady places. 

Old tree so precious and all aglow,

Vibrant with life as you steadily grow,

Our link to the sky and the earth below,

Masters of wisdom and patience and slow.

Old tree so broad and grand and strong,

Proud in your coat of bright mosses and ferns,

You shelter our wildlife and animals and birds,

A beautiful home and safe place to return.

A place with an energy from long ago,

On the edge of the village where people would come,

To meet, to hide, to cry or be alone,

Leaving soulful secrets never to be known.

Half cave, half outcrop, a shelter or home,

Padded with mosses and ivy and ferns,

No safer a place to run in from a storm,

Magnificent size and function and form.