I Would Not Walk that Path

I would not walk that path without you,
but when I do, I'll walk it with you,
and you will be that manic friend
who raced from hill to hill at our command;
that studious detective who could trace
the days-old scent of others down the sandy trail;
that follower like a faithful moon
whose looping orbit I always felt
behind me or before, a gentle tidal pull
of loyalty on my heart. And we will go
together all the way, to where it opens out
from trees to marshland and the channels
leading to the sea.

July 30 2010