The Call

Piping notes in the wildwood call
Heard somehow deeper than being with the part of you that knows the trees whisper and rattle their branches
The part restless in slumber, the scream that builds into your call to battle and to joy
And your own giant begins to stir

The drums begin a steady beat
Pulse of the Earth within and your blood settles into the rhythms of words tasting true
A susurration rising and fading with the rocking and the washing and the flow of your tides
Crashing on the rocks within
You mold yourself to a new shape in the world

The scent of fecund damp teases your nostrils
A reminder
Of the places monsters dwell
Of lanced wounds and battle madness, a mother's hands and the flash of silver in the well
Sharp reflecting in your eyes, in your own heart, obscuring the next step on the path
The decision is yours now
Your own voice has risen in elation and rage
Your own strength gathered
Everything changes with one more step

Do you trust yourself enough to take it?

The fire is warm, the blanket cozy in your lap, the wind rattles at the windows
You can go back to sleep
Your can turn away gently with a soft smile
As at fairy tales and the vivid imaginings of children
You have taken no oaths, will foreswear no vows, will live rightly and with honor
But soft and sleeping
One more step

Breathe deeply
You hear it

Choose