She walked in the woods to be alone
To shed tears with her head bowed low
The sun burned through the trees like an eye
Fir trees swayed against an autumn sky
Beneath the earth lay tree root bones
A grave of leaves, pine needles, and fir cones
She took photos so the memories would last
Ferns, silver birch, ash and oak watched her pass
She felt the woods watching and imagined the lives
Of pixies, fairies, and trolls, left alone to thrive
And as she wandered curiously through their woodland home
She pictured the green man sat upon his throne
She returned home with dry eyes, her burden now undone
Then she looked at the pictures and saw a figure in every one
Behind the trees, within the trees, a grinning silhouette
When she thought she’d been alone he’d been following her every step
A gnarled finger like a twisted root tapped upon the window pane
Polished black eyes in a face of green, The Green Man was his name
She opened her mouth to scream but it filled up with moss
Roots snaked in and choked her until her life was lost
The Glorious Outsiders 