Waiting

Don't take the path

you've taken before,

the long road

where you are alone

hearing only the owl,

and the grass, whispering

its lonely night song

to the empty field,

your eyes shielded

against what you might see

from the long ago past

which keeps trying

to pull you down

to its own stunted size

which is not you,

even though there are times,

when you have trouble

seeing what we see,

that halo of brilliance,

glow of compassion

we all feel in your presence

and the hollow that's left

when you take the old path

and we can only wait

for your return