Down the long steps
to an unscheduled wood,
down to the feathered green
of mast-like trees
swaying high and significant.
An inland sea sweeps
deck and continent alike,
black and white peaks
a geography of snow:
one man, one solitude.
He was meant for this ground–
his presence a direction
his message a track.
He was destined for this
much meaning.
the boardwalk over pungent moss
the unseen elk and wolf
no tourists
and a safe passage home.
………………….
Banff, 1995ish, staying at friends’ place during a film conference