In the woods there are houses
and bricks like broken teeth,
pockmarks in the bramble thorns and climbing ivy,
vines like fingers, tucked in deep on walls
battered and spat into tumble-down ruins
sinking further into the banks
where the river coils and drifts
between the reeds and weeds
and the washed up refuse
of someone’s empty pockets,
as the sky passes over
those flickers from the undergrowth
until it all, eventually, grows still.
I was really stuck for what to write for this prompt and in the end this was about all that I could manage. I’m not sure if it fits exactly with the style of ‘ecopoetry’ but I’m hoping I managed to get the mix of human and nature into this piece.
Carol J Forrester 
Such a powerful write 🙂
Thank you.
I read this as the crumbling walls.. and how nature takes it all back.. maybe that is where we all end up.. covered in vines.
Perhaps it is. Thank you for commenting.
I feel like it fit the prompt to a tee. The beauty of nature marred by the refuse from someone’s pockets. Fine sensory detail.
Our garbage but still, nature takes it back – inch by inch, vine by vine, tree root by tree root. Wonderful writing to the prompt.
those flickers from the undergrowth
until it all, eventually, grows still.
Yes, you most definitely met the prompt!
I’m glad you think so and I love the imagery in your comment.
🙂
I love the imagery in this- it is so powerful! I just posted a poem on my blog, my blog is https://t0bec0nsidered.wordpress.com/ if you would like to take a look 🙂 Great post by the way! It fitted the prompt so well 🙂
I feel the skeleton of the earth underneath this, Carol…fragile backbone, bended knee, needing us to protect her. Well done.
Thank you.
I think you showed the effects of our careless polluting – well said!
Thank you.
Very subtle message ~ I specially like the refuse from someone else pockets ~
Thanks for joining us Carol ~
Thank you for the lovely comment.
I can really identify with this one!
I’m glad.
I think you did very well. I especially liked the description of the river drifting between the reeds.
Thank you. 🙂
“Bricks like broken teeth,” great image. Fantastic images throughout Cheers!
“…and bricks like broken teeth…” great image. Great images throughout. I love this one Cheers!
Thank you Delaina, that’s lovely to hear.
What a pretty scene you paint with your poetic words – the ending is so sad though. It is terrible how delicate places of natural beauty are constantly turned into housing estates.
Well this one is still there actually. It’s part of an old estate that got broken up in recent years.
“Bricks like broken teeth” – love that line!
It’s my favourite too.
I really like your title to this, it portrays such a contrast to what once was and what it has become.
It’s actually taken from the woods next to my grandmother’s. It still’s covered in bluebells in spring.
Sounds so pretty. No bluebells here in Florida.
That’s a shame. They’re amazing to see in full force. It literally looks like a sea of blue flowers all clustered together and in the breeze it’s so pretty to watch them bob and dance.
So much of our roadways are littered with all kinds of things and towns and back alleys left, abandoned..what a waste of space and your poem strikes home with the bricks and
Indeed. It’s such a shame to see so much littler and waste around.
I remember bluebells woods when I was a child. I have caught glimpses of their beauty in Norfolk, but there aren’t many left in South London/Surrey, where I come from. I like the way you have them in the title but they have been obliterated by someone else’s refuse in the body of the poem. Clever and effective.
Thank you. It’s actually based on a woodland next to my Grandmother’s house.
The imagery here is excellent. The crumbling, pockmarks, vine like fingers……the idea of refuse piling up or hiding below the waters of a freshwater stream……humanity’s pockmark upon our woods and streams.
Your description says it all.
I’m glad you think so Lillian.
As a newcomer, I’m tickled pink to be finding so much quality work here, and this is right up there with the best. Brilliant.
That’s wonderful to hear and you’re very kind to say so. 🙂
It’s very powerful and with lots of growth and then the ending ‘grow’ still. It’s amazing how really inspiring poems can bubble up or grow from some of these Dverse prompts!
Thank you, that’s very kind.
EventuAlly..
tools of human
extending being
reclaimed by
Nature as
hers
ALLONE..
Star dUst
we come from
Dust of Pyramids
we go to
come
backs
Nature..:)
Nature ultimately and gradually fills in…in spite of all that washed up refuse from someone’s empty pocket…very well said…
Thank you. 🙂