#forest gothic

• It is never quiet in the woods, too many animals lurk for it to ever be quiet. When it does go silent, turn and leave the woods, pray whatever it is does not find you

• The earthquake will come, the mountains hold their breath for the day that it does

• The trees are ancient, respect them for they see everything

• When the wildfires come, cover your face from the ashes, even if there are none. No one who breathes the smoke will remain the same

• Sasquatch roams the forest, we all know or have heard of someone who has met him

• Deer watch, do not make eye contact. They will not let you return

• You hear something. Gun shots or fireworks. No one will tell you which

• The locals only drink coffee and beer and do not cover their head when it rains. It keeps the shadows in the woods at bay

• The alleys of the cities are tight, who knows who you may meet

• Do not pay the colorful graffiti to much mind, those who understand it go mad

• The crows watch you, unblinking and still. They are either a good omen or a promise of death. Are you in their good graces?

• The flannels are not a fashion choice, they are survival. Do not remove them when walking alone

• The ocean is stormy, the sand grey. Still, a few play among its deadly waves. Do not look to closely at their faces

• The forests are vaster than you can imagine. They unexplored and uninhabited. They are untouched for a reason

• The drinking water is the best you have ever had. Only the soil where they are buried knows what it took to get such clean water

• The mist shrouds the trees, do not look into it. You do not want to see what it holds

• The desert is vast, do not turn when you hear their cries. Walk faster and do not look

• The cities are concrete, the plants grow in the cracks

• The rain never stops. When it does, something is different

• There is beauty in everything, but do not trust your eyes

• Your feet will guide you, trust nothing but them

• A few locals know the woods. Do not accept their offer to take you inside

• A coyote howls, and something large moves, perhaps a moose. Whatever scared it, you do not want to know

• When the birds find you, it is already too late. Go with them willingly

• Coffee is good. Keep some in your house or car or trailer. Do not live or travel the PNW without it. Ever. No one will tell you why

• Gravity falls may exist, but the secret of where stays between the locals and the locals alone

• Time moves slower in the city. Do not linger for too long

Under the quiet branches,

she stands like a forgotten hymn—

soft bones, dark heart,

a girl stitched from dusk and silence.

Even the wind pauses,

afraid to disturb

the ghost of her gentle sorrow.