Journey’s End

So – it lasted long enough to walk me through
     But short enough to bid adieu to life with threat
          Of imminent death, and terror of alone in it –
               Enough for me to see inside a
                    System as the scourge for whom their
                        Case is just outside of the normal
                             Range of expectation.

I did it once – I’ve ‘senior’ been, though much more
     Distant to the scene they walked – it being
           Much harder to pull off an age-gap
                Walked than illness got with ‘inside
                    Views’ to better aid those folk
                         Whose road the fates have
                              Made to be their path
                                    From life to death’s destruction.

I did not choose to walk this way – to get
     A view to up my say in treatment or
          Equipping tool, nor did I ask that it be gone
              As sudden now, a terror’s song , fast fading in
                   The midst of time as life returns – I open up
                         Like flower bud, and time’s horizon pushes through
                              Tight time constraints to life with you.

But whether with intent we walk another’s trail
     We find our talk reflects our journey through some
          Hell regardless if it comes out well – and
               Others too, who’ve lived with us are
                    Touched forever with the dust brushed
                         From our clay as they walked
                              By out sides – oft helpless –
                                   They reside outside the
                                        Pale of desperate fight
                                             With self in face
                                                  Of life's withdrawn light.

‘The Bucket List’ came out that week, where two
     Old men together seek to taste together life’s
          Sweet savor before they face its dying
               Hour – I wonder what the plot
                   Would be if by some fluke
                        Of life’s decree, the one most sick had pulled on through
                             To live ten years like me and you – what
                                Thoughts of sickness left behind as those still
                                     Caught fade fast from mind, now
                                          Challenges of life surge up
                                               Demanding strong response from us.

Our lives diverged this season past, though end point
     Now returns at last, but even in this
          Quavering view with health or illness
               Far from sure, they still diverge, perspectives
                    Riven by past events and hopes of
                        Living as though a dream its
                             Been – some horror flick
                                  Of film on screen.

As through it all, ‘conform’ they said, ‘fall into line’,
     ‘It’s in your head’, so now I hear familiar
          Line, “deny your journey, link with mine’
              Which all sounds good except the
                    Fact of nine long months upon
                         A rack of inward journey – though
                               I’m back as though it never was my track
                                   Of life constricting in on me, the less of
                                        You each day to see – incision scar
                                              Is seen quite plain – while inward
                                                   Impacts we retain.

I love the freeway’s weaving roads which slow
     Divide, or merge, to close together folks
          Whose destinies are grouped together at
               High speed – if exit’s missed it’s
                    Just delay, for as in life another
                         Way exists ahead to come
                              On back and join the
                                  Other on our track.

But sometimes as we journey through events unfold
     For me and you which question choice
          Of destiny, as now ‘one venture
               Still for us’ which ended sudden
                    In that fuss, emerges once
                         Again as fun, e’re
                              This vacation-season’s done.

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