Poem -- "The Long Walk - Part I" By Thomas Herr

The Long Walk Part I

By Thomas Herr

He Thinks

During his Long walk to the market
Smoking Cigarette after cigarette
Fueled by nerves and Panic
Calmed by swirling smoke;

He Thinks.

Thoughts of failure
Bad decisions
A crack in his old pipe
Renders it useless.

What will never be?
Uncertain at the unsigned intersection
Of the dusty telegraph road
He presses forward in the hot sun.

The promise of Grandchildren
And all that love!
Gain him a few steps;
But there's no fireplace…

And Her actions
Give him no peace;
And serve to fuel his anger
For the next mile…

He pauses at the intersection
Of Impatience St.
and Misunderstood Ave. --
He is Blank.

Waiting for the cars to let him cross –
They flash by too close for comfort.
Selfish in their explosions.

In the best of times, there is still
The tender touch and the naughty spots --
They still give promise of wild pleasure

On the verge of seeing shore, the birds give hint.
Hours have passed and his clothes are loose and dusty
But he presses on for
He is always almost there.

When he arrives he forgets why he came.

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