By Gavin Murphy
You came to the cabin for its isolation,
its absence of distractions,
the silence so quiet it rings in your ears.
You came with the audacious notion
that you would think inspired thoughts there.
You love the woods, but you
weren't prepared for the solitude,
the seldom interrupted tranquility.
The way the tree line
surrounds the cabin like a wall.
A wall behind which shadows
seem to have eyes, orbs with
fiercely glowing retinas.
Shadows that shift like a stalking beast.
A beast that will eventually
burst into the clearing.
The clearing that surrounds the cabin,
the clearing carved out of the forest,
meant to keep wild creatures,
wary of exposure, at bay.
You weren't prepared for the night.
The darkness so total,
the sudden sounds so distinct.
The dawn that arrives almost warily,
as if afraid to see what it illuminates.
The carcass left behind
by the ghosts of wolves,
their spirits retreating
soundlessly into the shadows.
Their howls no longer heard by
someone afraid in a lonely cabin.
Posted December 2025
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