Today I Walked With You

Today I walked with you
All the way up the puddle jumper trail
And back again.

I noticed that the grass was green again
And I studied the still brown fields,
Hoping to see traces
Of tiny shoots, bright with that new green
That you love so much.

(I know you love it, because
When I look at it, my heart is filled
With ripples of your delight.)

The wind was so strong.
Sometimes it literally pushed me off balance
Or redirected my steps. I leaned into it
And felt like I was leaning into you.



As we walked, I told you
What I hated about myself.

You told me
What you loved about me.

I told you what I was
Afraid of.

You told me what you
Had done for me.

I told you what I couldn't fix.
You told me what you could.



The trail cut sharply
Into the side of a small hill, and
Just for a moment, I pretended
I was a hobbit

Hiding from a Ringwraith

On my way to Bree.

(Only a moment, and then
My voice echoed yours
In laughter at my ridiculousness.)



I looked around me,
At the beauty of the better-late-than-never Spring,
And I told you I wanted to make art,
Great art,
And I begged you to make me worthy
Of opportunities to do so.

You told me what I was asking.

I asked you to tell me
What you had planned for me
What you wanted me to do.

And you were silent.

And I thanked you that
There was a plan--
That I could be wrong but at least I would know
That there was a right way,
Somewhere.
And I wondered why that was comforting.



Today you walked with me
All the way up the puddle jumper trail
And back again.