Along the edge of the levee,
atop the slow hill slanting up
against the bank of the canal
there is a worn down path of grass
that leads from just nearby my house
to where the water meets the lake.
This morning, feeling rather bold
I took a detour down this track
just to see how long it would take
to walk its winding way, and back.
It took nearly a whole hour,
and left me tired, but not vanquished.
And to see the waves crashing there
against the rim of reclaimed land,
watching seagulls float in the wind
as the sun tried to break its way
through the thick, gray morning rain clouds,
made the trip worth the traveling.
12 OCT 2003
