Ruins, 3006 AD

Deep in the forest, further than you could walk

in many days, you'll find among the beech and oak

some soft grey crumbling rock, in slabs,

still smooth sometimes.

How did they raise those towers?

Even in their ruined state they stand

higher than an arrow from the strongest bow could reach

stained brown by rain and garlanded by green.

Sometimes we find

piles of rust nearby

with skeletons,

buried in seated pose.

Some think it was a massive path they made,

maybe a tribute to a god.

or demons, since (so travellers say)

around their ruins

you'll find huge tracts of land

where nobody dare live,

where children do not thrive

where all die slowly and in pain.

We'll never really know.

What does it matter?

demons or gods, we've food enough within our reach

to feed our tribe and some to trade.

That's all we need.

© Richard Lawson

May 2007