We all get there,
eventually,
whether on our feet,
our knees,
our backs,
or tumbling wildly.
There is no emissary.
We arrive
with cries
and tears,
or even with a smile,
with one eye twitching
in the corner,
just a little bit.
Nevermind the reason;
some say the journey
is better than the destination,
but I think it’s funny,
that they never really enjoy
the place they are
while they are there.
Take me, for instance;
it’s been a long road
and I have been bruised
and battered.
I have been lost
and mislead,
chased and tempted,
driven and sometimes
tumbling wildly;
and here I am,
finally arrived at my breaking point.
I think I’ll stay here for a while.
I think I will linger.
Far too many people
just blow right past it,
never taking the time
to understand the subtle mix
of certainty and confusion,
the mingling of bile and anticipation.
I know that when I step
one step beyond the threshold,
there’s no coming back.
I might even be a different person.
Different circumstance
and all the little nuances
that make a man
who broke himself
whole again.
What if I pick up the pieces
and I’m missing some?
Or some aren’t mine?
So, I’ll linger here;
loitering in amazement
that I’ve reached this line
that borders the unknown.
I can’t bring you across with me,
but one day you’ll reach yours.
Don’t hurry past it;
stay and enjoy it
and if you stick around long enough,
you’ll see
that it’s a crossroads.
HG – 2017
