THE WORLD ON MY DOORSTEP

Hills and valleys for ever here
Firs, spruce and pine reaching tall,
Sky of arctic blue, chilled winds breath on ones face
Is this Tunguska?
When the beams of light appear
Piercing the darkness,
Followed by the shadowy sedan
Is it a James Bond villain?
Some sultry, femme fatale?
Is this the hills of Monte Carlo?
Deer flit mysteriously in shadowy groves
And ferns grow tall,
An owl hoots in the pine scented labyrinth.
Is this a Scandinavian forest?
Where snow bends the trees into submission?
A place where water flows
Where fish are caught in sparkling jewels of ponds,
Where youngsters run barefoot with nets.
Is this the Amazon?
Do monsters lurk in the depths?
One can sit on top of the world
A castle proudly surveying the kingdom,
Is this Camelot?
Do dragons fight with knights of lore?
I sit atop the pine forested hills
Below me a manicured expanse of green,
Golfers in their garish attire
Walk and swing away.
Is this Aspen, Gleneagles or Carnoustie?

This is 'The Lickeys'
The world on my doorstep,
A magical place where I grew up
An adventure playground of nature and wonder.
Where love was discovered,
Friendships forged and a love of nature blessed.
The hills 'Beacon', 'Rose' and 'Bilberry' surround the valley of my childhood.
This heaven sent wonder is on the edge of Birmingham, England.
When we were small and money was tight,
The Lickey hills was our escape
The whole world from the Amazon to the forests of Norway
Here on our doorstep.
I now travel the world,
But, I'll always have a special place in my heart
For the Lickeys
The world on my doorstep.

Phil Hall  October 2013