The Path to Eternity

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We ambled through the woods that day on a secluded trail

On borrowed time we stole away adventuring

Laurels curve a canopy closing in on you and me

They framed our trek in pink with a thousand buds they speak

"Too soon! For in ten days we peak."

But we pass by unconcerned, their show is not what hails us here

You walk with me, I am content to have your hand

And time alone among the ferns, the rocks the moss

The Moss! Green and sage these hermits sit upon the ledge

As if to pass advice along to lovers as they climb the rocks

Clinging fast to weathered rock they call us through the hedge

Their stringent niche is juxtaposed against their tuffet shocks

Persistent and yet soft to touch, they thrive the harsh degree

They, like us, do prosper well, despite adversity

Past fallen stones you took the lead while I enjoyed the view

What I could see was at arm's length and under sole

Seedlings under waltzing branches, roots and textured ground

Sun streaks through shifting holes where winds keep making sounds

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The Path to Eternity - The Courage of Intimacy by Keith Ainsworth                                                                                                                                                        18