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
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