In the heartwood of a forgotten forest, nature remembers. Not the gentle green of springtime, but the ancient hunger buried beneath bark and bloom. This is no pastoral retreat—it’s a reckoning.
A man enters with axe in hand, seeking dominion. But the roots know his name. The moss has waited. And the flowers, once silent, now whisper rot.
This poem is a glimpse into nature’s dark memory—where vines tighten, petals weep, and the forest fights back, embodying the essence of dark nature poetry.
Welcome to the soil’s revenge.
Tethered by Moss
Dragged into green gloom,
footfalls swallowed by moss,
rustling hymns
beneath gnarled branches.
Sunlight fractures
through bristling leaves,
each shaft a shard
of silent warning.
Your breath catches
on thorn-slick air,
branches lean closer,
an ancient murmur.
Steel meets sap—
the first shriek of wood,
a splintered cry
drowned in damp earth.
Blossoms shiver,
petals curled like claws,
whispering rot
in perfumed tones.
Moss unfurls its velvet hands,
tendrils glide
over cracked leather
and broken bone.
Roots rise in velvet tides,
coiling up shins,
cracking calf to thigh,
no escape.
Wooden heartbeats
thrum beneath your ribs,
a living pulse
in the forest’s chest.
Leaves close in,
a cage of green steel,
and in that hush
you taste your end.
It breathes—
Your end is ground.
Thank you for reading Tethered by Moss, my attempt at dark nature poetry. For more Poetry or Literature related content, visit my blog at The Ritual. Copyright Mind on Fire Books.
Folklore and Flesh: A Dark Folklore Anthology by Willy Martinez
A haunting collection of horror stories where bees whisper betrayal, rivers drown regret, and folklore gets hungry.
Dive into the “Folklore and Flesh Anthology,” a chilling collection that masterfully intertwines the grotesque with the mythical. This anthology features ten spine-tingling tales that explore the dark intersections of body horror and folklore, where the human form and ancient legends collide in terrifying ways.
Pre-order coming soon – Expected October/November 2025
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