Soundless he was, sweeping through the downpour
Amplified our fire with his passing
Left us with our spilling words and darkness
We prepared a humble meal of this wood
Heating foods Pine had stored in root-cellers
Mushrooms, roots, leaves, nuts and and alien tastes
Filled my body with earthly purity
I watched as Pine and Maple ate with grace
And I marvelled at their ease of living
At the ease they had drawn me into this
A sub-world so rich with things I longed for
I echoed Maple’s smiling laughter inside
Warmed by her great fire-crackling presence
I wove Pine’s sweet calm and kindness with mine
Felt a solace in the depth of her glance
The rain slowed at last as we cleaned the space
We listened to nocturnal forest sounds
In flickering light we were bombarded
By owls and insects’ lusting hunters’ song
Air around us cooled from the deep darkness
We could feel heavy clouds and see no stars
The fire before us was steady-fed
Enabling eyes, fending off the chill
Pine’s voice softly rose in a wordless song
The smoke of the fire matched her sparseness
Maple and I set loose our own voices
Creating a soft chorus to the night
Gentle sounds of fire and vocal hums
Seeped out into the needles and branches
Spreading out into the surrounding trees
To be burried when the rain drum returned