The Ladies of Horror
Picture-Prompt Writing Challenge!
Paperback Tigers
by Alex Grehy
It is the nature of trees to stand,
to endure, slow thoughts hidden
from fast, impatient predators, us.
.
It is the nature of humankind to
assume, asinine, that these ancient
beings, standing voiceless, cannot attack.
.
Deep in the forest the trees hurl their
bark to the floor, imbue it with life and their
observed wisdom, to form skull and bone.
.
Leaves drape paperbark skeletons, stored
solar energy lights their terrible eyes, they
see all, hear all, feel the woodland’s fear.
.
The tree tigers hunt, revenge satisfies their
appetite, briefly, but how many trees were
murdered in the eons of the forest’s life?
.
Cut the trees? Hunger is greater
Burn the forest? Vengeance is hotter
Pave the land? Claws are sharper.
.
The soft-footed tree tigers draw power
from the tree’s mycelial bonds. Run,
atone, attack, there is no escape.
.
Fiction © Copyright Alex Grehy
Image courtesy of Pixabay.com
More from author Alex Grehy:
Last Species Standing
Alex Grehy (she/her) enjoys writing quirky, thought-provoking horror and is a regular contributor to The Sirens Call and Ladies of Horror Flash Project. Her fiction and essays on being a lady of horror have featured in a range of publications, including Spread: Tales of Deadly Flora. Alex’s first poetry collection, Last Species Standing, which explores mankind’s relationship with nature and technology, is available on Amazon.
Spreading the Writer's Word 
A stunning poem.