Beside the hill where no one goes
A spiral path stands in the loam
Into the trees it winds so deep
Where earth forgets the touch of feet
The stones are slick, the air is thin
Each step seems closer to within
The further down, the less you see
Yet whispers rise persistently
"Beware of spiral paths, my dear,
Where whispers take what you hold near.
Step not where shadows twist the pines,
Be careful what you leave behind.
"A name unspoken fades away,
And with its loss the price is paid.
For where your voice is lost to air,
A spiral path awaits you there."
"They walked this path before you came,
And each who walked it bore no name.
Turn back, or else you’ll lose your own,"
The spiral path does make it known
But on I walked, despite the sound
The air grew colder on the ground
The moss now shone, the bark took shape
And roots emerged like twisted gates
At last, I found a hollow door
Its edges lined with whispers hoarse
I turned to flee, but in my haste
The spiral path had caught my trace
And now I stand between the pines
With wooded limbs and watcher’s eyes
No voice is mine, no name is true
And spiral paths await for you.