And like a willow
Or a river birch
I found my self
Rooted and simply standing
Often and at times
Victim of the wind
Which wound and weaved
Through the years limbs
And every so often
Men would stumble upon
Me in search of the
The river in which
They swam I drank
Throwing off their clothes
And splashing and diving
In and beneath me
The river their baptism
And me their comfort
Two wolves one mountain
Two faces similar howls
Echo or each other
Meant to attract or
Warn symbolizing their territory
A crack a brush
And then a scent
Carried on winters winds
To dissuade or entice
Not food but foe
Perhaps friend maybe mate
Caution but not fear
For both knows the
Other knows but not
Circling and then growling
Paws outstretched and then
Touch and finally brothers
Once again and forever
Now running then chasing
And eventually sleeping and
Keeping each other warm
Now no more loneliness
Who doesn’t love a
Rousing marching band winding
Its way through streets
Churning up excited emotions
But me but now
I prefer to whistle
And sometimes to hum
Both of which fade
To a saturating silence
It is the knowing
The current you never
See which moves things
Along at breakneck speed
Come dip with me
Let us dive deep
Deeper than sun can
Witness let us know
Those dark things that
Only touch can find
My forever is behind
Me having been spent
But never squandered what
Used to be a
Map is now a
Scrapbook it’s funny how
Fast things happen how
Quickly life fills in
The blanks and love
The colors now if
You are young and
Especially if old save
Only your pennies and
Spend absolutely everything else
HARLAN DIDRICKSON 