While I was taking a few days break I found myself walking through a wood. Apparently this wood is quite some years old. It became dense in places and overgrown. It is strange how when you walk through such places, stillness can alert you to ungrounded thoughts.

I don’t know why I should be walking down a particular track and if I'm honest I didn't really noticed how far into this world I was stepping into. Sure, a thought would be alerted by some noise of a creature native to this place and yes I did at times get a feeling I was being watched. But you would for there must be many a sensory radar aware of a not so quiet tramp through their world.

I found myself directed to a very old tree. It's presence commanding an audience. Something moved in the bracken to its left. Preparing to be confronted by some wild hog to my surprise out popped the strangest looking man I've ever seen. He was buckled backed, unkempt and if truth be known very much a hermit. Thinking he was about to defend his territory I was surprised when he acknowledged me with a greeting and the question, did I find the tree fascinating. I answered yes.

It’s older than time. He said. What, I said. He continued from his distance to tell me the following.

Old Billy Liar said on his Pa's life that the tree is older than God! He reckons his Ma gave birth to him there after she tripped over its roots.

I know it was a hanging tree; they'd stretched the necks of liars!

I've heard its holding the world in place 'cause its roots have got a firm grip of the earth and its branches stretch out up to scratch at the sky.

Ma Blakely said that if you eat its fruit during daylight you'll live forever. Ma Blackley looks like she's lived forever.

They say ghosts from way gone by haunt well beyond this day and folk have heard low moans when the moon is full. Back there it's fenced off with those crate wood signs ordering you to keep out and the red paint always looks fresh.

This strange creature stopped a moment and took a long look at me. Well it's always stood there before generations. There's one thing for sure, it'll be around when I'm bleached bones.

He turned to walk back into the bracken with only his voice trailing away I've only heard its older than time itself, kind of strange, something as old as Ma Blakely.

So he was gone and I was left back amongst the stillness thinking it time I returned back to my world.