The End of the Path

Winter approaches,

And so ends my road.

My bones are too weary

To carry my load.

Long have I walked,

Miles upon miles.

The air grows too cold—

I’ve only a while.

Through orchards I’ve wandered,

Their beauty to see.

Succulent juices;

They long nurtured me.

Then came the ocean,

Its waves singing songs.

So warm and so blissful,

Drowning out wrongs.

From beaches to hills,

I heeded my call.

When challenges came,

I conquered them all.

Seen on horizons,

A pale and red light.

Dawn burst through clouds,

The skies did ignite.

This fire attracted

My curious eye.

Craving warm secrets,

I hurried thereby.

Mind over matter,

The flame was my guide.

In the darkest of valleys,

Its strength never died.

Then came the mountains,

Ice capped and blue.

Finding some friends,

We worked our way through.

Always we hungered

For our precious dreams.

When lands became deserts,

These were our streams.

Roses came many,

I loved their perfume.

One bloomed into love;

My heart she consumed.

Even in shadows,

She swayed by my side.

Soothing my fears,

The rose was my pride.

Seasons would pass,

And days dwindled on.

The fury of snowstorms

--their winds had now gone.

I danced in the moonlight,

I twirled in skies.

I rode winds of passion,

I fought demon lies.

In rose fields I slept,

Never urged on.

In darkness I waited,

My trust in the dawn.

The vices I tasted--

Envy and wrath.

I nearly lost sight

Of the end of the path.

But here I rest now,

In the shade of a tree.

My mouth opens dry;

Just one final plea.

When my heart freezes,

And when the wind blows.

Bury me here,

Alongside my rose.