Alone stands modern man,          product of products for

Hair, skin, white-teeth, tan;         ethos came shop bought and canned.

Artificed for ease of use                 synthetic fibres force away

Weather’s organic abuse,             like a magnet repellent to life.

Even here, in this place where                    the pace of life slows into seasons,

Time and space to replace care                  with a deep ancient harmony,

Data streams from pocket seems              in search of recent football scores

And shopping lists, reems             of chatter inconsequential at best,

Interrupting an olden                     peace, understood of centuries

A pact long beholden                     by mother nature and expanding man.

Come as you may, whatever                       dishevelled manner of being

But an open heart will ever                          be repaid with blissful respite.

Yet here, in recent years,              man must walk in solid shoes to guard

His soles, and belay fears              he may inherit discomfort from

                               These twisted roots.