Deep in the winter forest, the oak kings wrestle limb to wooden limb. Their wooden fingers clatter in the bitter ice wind, struggling to find holds, even as their sap blood seeps away into the dark earth. Pulling and tugging at their burnished shrivelled cloaks are sharp green fingers of Holly, eager to climb into their place in the light. In Winters freezing breath and dim light Holly thrives as the Oak Kings fail.
Here a fallen oak dragon lies, it’s skull dissolving slowly back into the dark soil, and a holly sapling sprouts evergreen from its neck.
The eternal struggle lies at our feet, and the season rolls forwards towards the light, with Holly victorious for now.
Slain oak dragons skull
Earth reclaims the bones and blood
Holly gushes forth.
breathofgreenair 
Amazing trees. How old do you think they are?
Some of the trees are around 400 years old…….just think of all that history rolling past as they stood rooted to their spot on earth. They have such a peaceful atmosphere around them 🙂
Lovely haiku 🙂
Magical writing. Very evocative and beautiful.
Lovely magical shapes and figures!
I thought I had left a post for you…….. I live in Angus and near Forfar there is a standing stone and it is said that is where the last Scottish dragon was killed, so dragons must have been real 🙂
Thanks Pete, wordpress doing funny things again 🙂
I’ve heard stories about this stone, is it the same one where some stories tell go three or nine maidens being slain by the dragon first?
I must go up for a visit, us it easy to find?
No thats the Dundee dragon, there is a huge one made of metal in the high st, google Dundee dragon and you will see it, I will go out tjis weekend and see if I can find the stone again, last visited 20 years ago lol 🙂
Nature is full of surprises, and I really like the way it played with your and now – also my imagination 🙂 Beautiful!
That’s so true Ese, and I’m delighted that you enjoyed having your imagination played with. There’s always something new to notice in nature, and yet there is a comforting pattern which repeats 🙂
wonderful drama in the forest, and you see it! we have dancing trees here, I sit with them sometimes 🙂
What a wonderful way to pass some time, under the boughs of dancing trees 🙂
yes it is, they let your hear the clapsticks and show you the human women dancing, memorialised in the shapes of the beautiful trees for centuries 🙂
What an entrancing spell the Mighty Oak Dragon has cast forth even now as he lies in his decaying sleep giving shelter …
Just… beautifully composed Seonaid .
Poppy I love your comment, it’s a perfect add on to the post….decaying sleep…..perfect 🙂
An Arthur Rackham tree – wonderful what nature can do.
Hey you’re absolutely right……I loved his illustrations as a child.
Must take another look 🙂
You know what, every time I read your posts I want to take a long, long walk and just ‘be’.
That’s the perfect response Deena…….thats exactly what I’m aiming for 🙂
Xxx
Wonderful words and a heartbreaking image. Thanks
What fabulous old trees. I just love your imagination. 🙂
Oh that’s a lovely comment, I do love it when someone loves my imaginative mind….and yes the trees are wonderful, such characters!
Love your pics, Seonaid, and what a fantastic account of the valiant struggle for power. Yay for the victorious Holly! We women are a strong lot. 🙂
We are indeed 🙂
And as you can see there is no snow, which as you know has me feeling sad….but the woods do still look beautiful if a little dark and devoid of colour!
Are you going along to Trish’s/Pete’s thingy (I’m taking some stuff too)? I would love to see what you see, but with my own eyes. I want to see dragons for myself! PS oak to win as well.
Oh I’m sure anyone can see dragons if they just look the right way 🙂
And yes I should be at the thingy, which also involves food so I’m happy!
It would be interesting to watch the gradual returnto earth of this Oak King.
It would Gilly, but there are interesting changes afoot, around the roots of these old trees. They are introducing wild pigs, an old breed, back into the oak woods, and they are erecting fencing around the spot where this oak skull has fallen. I’m not sure if I will be brave enough to venture back in as the pigs are big, very hairy and have piglets!!
I live in Angus, near Forfar there is a standing stone and it is suppose to mark the place where the last Scottish dragon was killed, I have just remembered that after reading your post, I will have to go and photograph it. 🙂
It is no wonder I find it easier to write fantasy with UK settings – the scenery is just that much more fantastical!
Well I can only agree with that, although I’m sure you have some pretty stunning landscapes in your neck of the woods too 🙂
They are, but generally more open and less mystical. Although I am finding the setting I photographed as a basis for my ‘Darx Circle’ cover is giving some good scope.
remember some oaks from Tim Burton’s Alice Movie…:-)))
Oh yes, more wonderful oak filled magic 🙂
These old trees got a lot of character. I can definitely see the dragons posturing getting ready for their next punch or fire breath! You are so lucky to live in a country that still has so many ancient trees. I just recently came across an old spruce forest that held a similar magical energy. If you haven’t seen it already, here is the link: http://beautyalongtheroad.wordpress.com/2013/12/29/untouched-for-centuries-a-virgin-spruce-forest/
It’s so easy to see the magical shapes in their twisted and energised limbs and trunks. They seem to lean in towards each other …….
I really love the atmosphere in these old oak woods, and I loved your post about the undisturbed spruce forest ……..a lucky accident 🙂 Thanks for the link.
Tough figh,t but in the end – I vote for the Dragon to win. ..Beautiful oak trees – cannot really get enough of them…
They really are so stunning, twisted into magical shapes and filling the air with their still presence.