Abstract: Hiking Mt Hood
Through the lush redwoods I hiked,
deep into the wood south of Mount Hood.
Road noise replaced by chirping robins and sparrows,
a welcome divergence from my norm.
Further still I remembered the words of Uncle Rob,
his timeless exultation to cut a new trail,
away from the slog of routine,
and I longed to be brave, to explore.
At the next fork I chose the path unworn by my fellow hikers,
until my feet eventually ran out of trail,
the end of where I was supposed to be,
to where I wanted to be.
The comfort of the road worn disappeared,
as each step required more thought than before,
the brush ever chaotic and thick,
and no obvious route presented itself.
My ears strained to recognize new sounds,
the scurry of a small creature beneath my feet,
a reminder I am not alone,
and I haven’t a clue what lay ahead.
My nerves frayed by too many unknowns,
won the moment,
and I turned my back on the adventure,
back to the path of less resistance.
For a short hour I lived,
I ventured into the mystery of the wood,
dared to be alone on my journey,
and it was Good.
Defeated for the moment,
but not for my life,
my feet will find my way back to where to safety ends,
and life begins.
