On Any Given Day

My mountain climbing is over. I’ve seen the hidden

Valleys beyond. I never got to cross the plains of

Mongolia, but I did see Reykjavik from 30,000 feet.

Once a disheveled vagrant sat beside me on a park

Bench in Albuquerque and asked me for some change.

Any amount would be helpful, he begged.

I held my newborn grandson when he was barely

A week old. He turned twenty last Saturday, and now

He wears a size-15 shoe.

I’ve listened to all nine symphonies from Beethoven

A hundred times or more. Sitting down over coffee

At a cafe, I have some stories I could tell you.

See that young lady over there, I would suppose

(and rightly so) that she has a good many years of life
Ahead of her.

I’d be willing to bet she has a great deal to say. She

Looks like the outdoorsy type to me, a mountain climber

I’d guess. Let’s go over and ask.

Chris Hanch 3-6-17