you didn’t know it, but
i took you on a walk today —
for whatever i beheld i saw
with eyes that wanted yours
to see it too. i followed
foottrails into the woods
as far as i dared go and
imagined what we might find
if you were there making
sure i didn’t lose myself.
i came across a faerie pool
hidden in a copse of cedar
and we stood on the brim
looking down as deep as
we could to see if we
could catch a glimpse
of the good people staring
back at us from the other side.
farther down the trail crossed
an iron bridge studded with
lichens of orange and green
and grey, and i paused to
look more closely, wondering
what you would say about them,
about the fallen tree
spanning the creek, about the
bright patch of moss glowing
against the winter-brown bank.
i took you on a walk today
knowing you will never see
what i saw, nor the sun’s
glint on the water as it
flowed beneath the bridge.
