Some one’s stacked flat rocks around the tree in
Sets of two and five. Some one’s driven nails
Into the trunk and in the roots. Some one’s
Burned bay leaves and rue, smearing the whitened
Ash across the bark. Dark magic’s details
Are rarely displayed, some one thinks it’s fun
To taunt, to hint, to stake curse claims and make
Their message hard to miss. Some one’s done some
Body wrong. Some one’s got to pay a price.
The tree work’s smoke and mirrors, made to take
Eyes away from all the rest. What’ll come
Will come unnoticed, later, cold as ice
And deadly. Some one’s waiting. Some one’s set
Some hidden spell. No forgive. No forget.

Juleigh Howard-Hobson’s poetry has appeared in scores of journals across the world, including Star*Line, Anima, Enchanted Conversation, Riddled with Arrows, Polu Texni, Coffin Bell, The Literary Hatchet, Illumen, New Witch and Dreams and Nightmares. Her fifth poetry collection is the Elgin nominated Our Otherworld (Red Salon Press). She lives in the cold grey Pacific Northwest where she writes numinous poetry and works magic in the woods. Noms: Pushcart, Best of the Net, Rhysling, Elgin. Twitter: ForestPoet@PoetForest.