MonuMental

Ahh a freshly paved walkway

The hard rubbery asphalt nearly Springs me forward towards my next step

Feeling young with an abundance of energy thinking that I could never get tired of this

A beautiful new world spreads out in front of me just waiting for the massage of nimble toes and soft steps and the occasional tripping over my own feet

So let’s walk

Let’s walk until the new pavement reaches the worn sidewalk and keep going from there

Watching the cracks pass under me every two or three steps noticing the accumulation of all walks of life caught in between them

Making me think this sidewalk isn’t as much “worn” as it is just “warmed up

Strolling over frame after frame like the filmstrip of life

Trying to wipe away old stains from a child’s series of chalk drawing that knew the fame of making their statement long enough to really get down deep into the concrete before the Summer rain could wash it from memory

My terrain no longer pushes me in that effortless stride but with a little bit of work I keep myself moving forward, bouncing along to an imaginary pule in natural unison with my heels and toes

So let’s walk

and keep walking even when we get to that part of the sidewalk showing a little more wear and tear

Not necessarily any misuse or abuse but just the wrinkles of existence that have to manifest themselves eventually

No matter if it was barefoot or boots that made their mark

The semi-crumbled and crushed segments, once solid and strong, now require a little bit more kick if one is to continue moving past them

Stepping overtop with a little more caution

not wanting to trip these feet that are starting to tire and ache from the march but moving right along

because walking is what I do

Let’s walk

Not for the love of it but let’s walk because I’ve been waiting to get up here to stumble across these cobbles

A little tricky so I take things slower which also gives me an extra moment to look around and enjoy the colors of each individual cobblestone

While the Fall leaves speckle the trees with harmonic multicolor the stones cover the path as a pixilated blanket of spectral unity

My tiring feet show the scuffs of the concrete sidewalk now long behind me

The more predictable and difficult parts of the walk yield appreciation for this now-classic and abstract topography

and as my weary legs remind me of the journey I’ve just made

I feel joy just to be here

and I’m still walking

I have to take a knee every now and then but that just gives me a chance to set my gaze at where I am and turn my eyes back to where I was

I’m pleased with this walk

What I’ve done and where I’ve taken myself since I started

But I’m not going to stop now

So let’s walk

Let’s walk this increasingly tattered path

As these legs grow tired I am happy to see that my route starts to slope downhill

Not providing more strength but removing some of the energy needed to go from step to step

The appearance of my walking sick helps me keep a steady gate while these wobbly feet and shaky ankles keep me moving

The stones keep coming

Some are broken

A few remind me of past moments I’ve had

or previous steps I’ve taken while on this great walk

As the ground quietly begins to mix in smaller rocks and debris

The cobbles have lost some of their tightness and secure setting realizing I’m not on the perfectly smooth pavement where I once walked

I start to take things one step at a time

Still moving

This walk isn’t finished until this course is entirely broken down

And then I’ll take my last stride

with both feet together

Planted in the dust

Resting my souls