Wilderness Poem by Phil Soar

A desolate wilderness beckons me
Through broken branches, lichen and fungi I make my way
Looking over my shoulder like some stalked prey
Trying not to panic, but to see the flowing river ahead
Fighting my way past satin tinted flowers
Lingering smells
Of pine and grass mixed with death and birth
The midges bite through my camouflage
Seeking blood
Passing time on my frail body
Bleeding me dry
I fall
Silence
Until I shut out the pain and regain my strength
Climbing to the lofty hilltop with the view of flowing water
I plunge
I dive
I land
Water seeps through my clothes and I drink
I look to find the wilderness has welcomed me
And its beauty is beyond comprehension
It beckoned me
I answered
It coaxed me
I made it
I resolve to take in all that is before me
And then I die.