Doors to the underground

homes of  ancient ancestors

man and beast

entrances to mother earth

inviting yet foreboding

caves draw us in

to explore

to challenge our senses

we enter with anticipation

drawn in by curiosity

a sense of wonder

a taste of dread

deeper deeper

feeling along limestone walls

hearing echos

the slow drip of water

shadows

eerie noises

our eyes trying to adjust

our imaginations running wild

here are the ghosts

of the primeval earth

we see who we are

in the dark.