The Long Dirt Road

The auburn leaves
beneath my feet
crackle and snap
under the pressure
as I walk down
the long dirt road

I inhale
a deep luxurious breathe
then exhale
that pale plume
reach up and button
my jacket
realizing the bitter cold

the crackling leaves
now turn to snow
covering and soaking
my already cold feet
before I yet finish
the long dirt road

I look up
notice the
not so subtle change
everything covered
in a blanket of cold
I come to assess
the freezing white
in the air

There is excitement
about the world
the birds are chirping.
Trying to avoid the cascade
that makes it impossible
to navigate
the long dirt road

The world around me
all buzzing about
I'm growing more wet
and more weary
all the time
my pace slows
unable to stop yet
I press on

A strange feeling
washes over me
in the intense heat
almost unbearable
by myself on
the long dirt road

I see others
they try
to keep cool
not I
I finish my life
the way I started,
full circle.
life to death
and death to life
that which
we have no control over