Deep in the holloway ...

We followed the holloway to Childe Okeford - 

We walked through drifts of fallen leaves, each leaf a memory of summer -

The sides of the holloway soon rose above our heads - 

Between the roots of a leafless tree we saw the entrance to a badgers' sett - 

I imagined the dreaming creatures under the chalky earth - 

Earlier, we'd seen a flock of wood pigeons flying above a newly planted field - 

Hidden from view were the steep slopes of Hambledon Hill - 

We could smell woodsmoke and the scents of old houses - 

Deep in the holloway, we were sheltered from the wind, cloaked with quiet years -

11.36

Wednesday 7 December 2016

Childe Okeford

Dorset