Moist ground evaporates under my feet.
I trudge through layers of thick,
Goopy mud and sodden ground.
Lost on a forbidden path
Searching for the hidden.

The hidden is tough to find,
Yet easy to uncover.
And its rough feathers tickle my nose.
While its shrill whispers sting my ear.

A thrill of swampy scares awakens me.
As salty water seeps off my body,
And solidifies between each toe.
I am searching for the hidden.

Creatures emerge in the cascading darkness,
To begin their hunting song.
A cicada here,
An owl there.
My trek has been too long.

The air is very dense.
Heavy and humid,
Accumulating on my skin.
Sopping socks and perspiring pores leave me shivering,
As I am searching for the hidden.

Dropping degree by degree,
Damp air chills the boggy forest.
Enveloping darkness encloses me,
And etches fear into my mind.
Cloaking me in the deep fog.