for David
I met a hiker once
With sure feet and a steady gait.
And as I watched him climb
With measured steps, he taught me
— to be
present in this place
Not looking for more, not looking for
next
Huddled in the warmth of his woods.
I watched the hiker and came to see
The beauty he found in nature's flaws
Whence I missed when I strode alone.
And through his eyes I saw unveiled
— his hidden
art
In the gnarled trees, and fallen leaves
Etched in ethereal ice.
As we trod on, the hiker beckoned me
To listen to the fragmented silence.
And so I shut my eyes as hard I could
And through the hiker's ears I heard
— the
forest songs
In tiny flutters, in whispered mutters
Shrouded in the nothingness.
As time swept by for the hiker and I
The winter of the woods stood still.
And as we held hands the long way home
His gentle patience steered me forth
— to
lean into his love
Not looking for more, not looking for next
Sheltered from the wayward winds.
And so we hike, and so we roam
Over ridges and valleys, now and anon.
And so we hold, and so we cherish
My beautiful hiker and I.