Perspective

This poem captures the amazing use of tone that can change one scene into two different things with a simple change in word choice.

Dark branches curl their fingers together,

A ceiling of wood and leaves woven overhead.

The trees shake with each step;

The silence is overwhelming.

Fog surrounds the wary traveler,

Wisps of dark vapor clawing at his ankles.

His breath puffs into the cold air;

The eeriness has him shivering.

Stone walls covered with moss and cracked with age,

A cabin in the woods looms above him.

A shaky hand grasps the doorknob;

The door swings soundlessly inward.

 

Sunlight streams through chartreuse leaves,

Casting patterns of light that dance on the ground.

Birds sing in every tree;

The symphony is astounding.

A gentle mist rests on the damp ground, 

Swirling playfully around the traveler's feet.

Puffs of steam leave his lips;

A quiet breeze is whispering.

Rustic stones stacked neatly and high,

A cottage in the forest stands before him.

A relieved hand turns the handle;

Welcoming scents waft outward.

Author's Note

This isn't really my first attempt at poetry, but I'm not typically very good at writing poems so I'm interested to hear what people think of it.