What it's Worth

A hefty load upon my back,
the sun at high noon.
We marched,
with nary a wind
knoll after knoll,
the mid-summer heat
reducing us to the
walking half-dead.

Oh if only I'd known,
what awaited me at the top:
An endless view of rolling green,
from my quaint improvised shelter
(Ten minutes, some bamboo and a sheet)
flapping in the cool summer breeze.

Foggy mornings alone atop the ridge,
hard biscuits turn heavenly in the gold of dawn
and I watch the world go by its business
whilst waiting to be hungry again.

Afternoon, we chat a little about life
and then I'd take a nap
under the cool shade,
ah.. the scent of green oranges,
like the days of my youth.

And in the dark cool evenings,
bright city lights bloom one by one
in a distance but
never really outshining the stars,
which hang above in strange ancient patterns.

Oh if only I'd known,
I'd pick up that pack
and walk those roads,
up and down those knolls
in the sweltering heat,
all over again.
This time with a smile on my face.

I wish I had pics for this one.