The Six Pathways

An adult daughter brings her failing father to the doctor
The news is not good
He’s loosing his nervous system to disease
He soon will loose his sight and hearing
Then his sense of smell and taste
And his sense of touch will falter and he’ll lapse into a coma
Tears run down her cheeks as she weeps for him
The man comforts her and says:
“Dry your tears and don’t weep for me
I’ve seen the most marvelous of sights
The golden sunsets over the ocean
Where the clouds are painted in colors that stay painted on
The inside of your eyes
I watched your mother, pure beauty in motion
As she danced with abandon and joy in her existence
I’ve seen mathematical equations come true
And watched man walk on the moon
But I’ve seen the horrors of our science unchecked
Destroying forests and melting human endeavors as well
I’ve heard the music of the quiet star filled night
Standing outside of a field and hearing corn grow
As the cicadas serenaded, calling to mate
I’ve listened to the rain as it’s made the grass sing
And I’ve marveled at operas and heard the soaring ‘I’ve got a dream’
I was there when you sang in grade school and
Heard the joy of you as a child singing because you could
And we laughed together – and there is no better sound
Then the laughter of joy from a child
I’ve heard the cries of the oppressed and growl of hungry bellies
The wailing of a mother whose lost her child
I’ve smelled the deep musk of the garden and the earth in spring
When all is renewed
The scent of your mother as she readied for her day
The early morning flowers sending their aromas to the wind
Calling for the bees to come
I’ve been on the field of battle when the corpses are lined up
Sending one last message to the world of how we’re all corruptible
That scent of decay
I’ve worked the garbage dumps and smelled the wastes of man
I’ve tasted the fine meals made with your mother’s best ingredient
Love
I’ve had chocolate melt on my tongue and swilled fine wines in
My mouth
I’ve tasted victory and defeat
And dined on crow because of the evil that flowed from me
I’ve felt the touch of your mother
And walked hand in hand with you
Feeling your small hand hold on to me as walked on our way
I’ve touched silk and wood feeling their beauty and strength
I’ve felt the richness of the soil
And the parchment skin of a fallen friend
I’ve touched death and now it’s death’s turn to touch me
So don’t weep, dry your tears
I live on in the songs of your daughter
In the coded messages she sings about her experiences
Five of six paths may fade but I still have one
This full contact sport we call life
Can have my senses but it shall not take my memories
Or what lies beneath
It can not recall where I’ve been and what
I am”