Wandering: Earth Tongues & Dark Omens

one careless pass of my hand
bowled you over.
from the trees
a cacophony of ravens erupted.

blackened lizards' tongues,
misplaced ears of a fae hare;
we should have known
what you foretold.

what fools.
instead,
we witlessly said,
"Well, that was weird."



Members of the genus Geoglossum, or the Black Earth Tongues are generally small, dark, end-of-autumn fungi. They usually appear with cooling temperatures & will last late into the season if they are not adversely affected by freezing. All species grow saprobically on soil in, or in the vicinity of small grasses or mosses. They are easily recognized by their elongate, slender shapes; their silhouettes ranging in form from rabbit-ears to pestles to cotton swabs. All of the Geoglossum are dark brown or black, with smooth surfaces & can only be identified at the species level by microscopic examination of their spores. They are delicate, pleasant fungi. However, my limited experience with them has also shown that they may portend both unpleasant news & events.

Dark, diminutive fungi, the Geoglossum. Pictured here, perhaps G. fallax.