"I Am Where I've Been"
The places I've been forged furrows in my brow,
And carved wrinkles 'round my smile.
They've worn patterns on my palms,
My elbows etched where I've paused to ponder.
Both knees carry imprints of where I've knelt,
The land created calluses on my feet.
I've been changed by the places I've been.
Mountains, valleys, deserts, forests, beaches, and meadows,
Their earthy seals now affixed to my body.
I wear them as my life's passport.
Like Whitman's child who went forth, they are part of me.
I am where I've been.
Special people are part of my life lifescape too.
They grounded my journey along the way.
When I put down roots, they nourished me.
Easterners taught me suburban and urban ways,
And Midwesterners shared small-town wisdom.
Human connections cultivated deep understandings.
Now I linger longer listening to hidden forest singers.
I see more clearly where I gazed blindly before.
I gently touch the soil to siphon its strength.
I smell the flowers instead of flattening them.
I taste the fruits of life with renewed appetite.
My senses honed by the rough stones along the way.
The places I've been pose as prophets,
Teaching me how to live and why.
They are embodied in my soul,
Creating character and focusing the future.
The places I've been are within me.
I am where I've been.
Thank you Cliff.
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