It’s a little late in the game
for adventure –
she thinks –
stepping down the stone-strewn path.
Her body aches,
Her breath is labored,
Her shoulders tense and high.
She pauses,
inhales deeply,
breathes out a deliberate, slow stream.
There are trees here.
There are hills
and a big sky.
The terrain is not familiar,
but the planet is her own.
She must – she thinks –
learn to feel at home
anywhere on the earth.
No parents now.
No safety.
No guarantees.
But, really and truly,
there never were.
She left Hecate’s torch at the crossroads
for another traveler
in transition.
She has boots on her feet,
a staff in her hand,
and a song to sing
as she goes.
It is – for now - enough.
