Celtx Poetry Winner: At Night in the Woods

The following poem by Jeff Martin won 2nd place in the third week of our 2014 Celtx Competition. The theme was Rituals.

At Night in the Woods by Jeff Martin

There’s a deafening silence 
At night in the woods. 
I peer out at the trees 
From under my hood. 
Owls are hooting and 
Insects are humming 
While I walk in the silence 
Of those understood.

Casting a circle 
With a finger outstretched
Over the ferns and
Discarded vignettes 
Of much larger branches
That the trees have abandoned, 
I called for the blessings of 
Fire and Water. 
Air did I call on, as well as the 
Earth which made for me a platform 
Where I could do my work. 

There were not but broken 
Glass shards in my vision 
When I meditated on my past. 
My present wasn’t fitting 
So I looked into the future 
And I saw in the reflection of 
My child’s eyes a divinity
For which I have long quested. 
Picking up the fractals of a 
Former life, I paused and right 
Before me appeared the Horned One. 
He snorted fire and

I came to my senses in a start. 
The crackle of branches just outside 
The circle where I sat 
Were made by a large buck. 
He sat and stared at me, silently 
Waiting 
For what, I still know not.

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Jeff Martin is a writer of poetry and fiction, student, musician, father and avid reader. From an early age, Jeff has been drawn to the written word and has been dabbling throughout the creative arts for the majority of his life. Writing has matured into one of his most cherished passions and he is currently working on a young adult fantasy novel and a collaborative anthology on mythology. Jeff runs a blog and corresponding Facebook page that feature short stories and poetry from himself and other authors.