the sureness and the random of the gifts
our bodies crave at least a couple of miles of work,
to gain elevation and thus to use muscles and lungs
enough to keep them going,
it feels like getting into a mountain stream,
the first of a hike is painful and never easy for me,
I need to persevere and find a gear that works
for body and spirit,
we get into gear and do well,
and we are rewarded with sweat and flowers:
yellow-fringed orchis and a high country Carolina lily,
with fungus erupting from tree and soil
to use the recent rains to reach toward the future with spores,
in a favorite section of the trail,
where trees and flowers feel old growth to us,
a yearling bear is browsing
and lets us watch him for a bit,
though he is so sensitive to noise
that the click of my camera keeps him alert,
until he moves up and away to eat alone,
in the wild, gifts appear,
I work to notice and appreciate
whatever gifts luck will help me open.
by Henry H. Walker
July 24, ‘18
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