Choices

Choices

What do you want to know?

I could tell you
that I floated through the cool, green world at dawn
on a moving walkway
of soft pine duff over perfect, crunching granite.

I could tell you
that I always got up to pee at the moment ordained
to see the black bear bounding away through the gloaming forest
and the meteor burning in a blink above the moonlit lake.

I could tell you
of friendly junipers, 
as broad and ancient as the World
welcoming me with knowing arms.

Or 

I could tell you
that each step held five exquisite pains
as the miles dilated in the heat - 
me struggling up the down escalator.

I could tell you
that the World is ruled by wasps
swarming from dusty stumps to stake claim to my lunch
and pick away at my naps.

I could tell you
of apex giants felled by drought and beetles,
impassable chaos of naked trunks
under blistering sun.

It’s all true,
I could tell you.
What do you want to know?

JWW 9/18/2016