Texting a friend from school
Across so many miles and months.
They both felt restless
Trapped in lives that just seemed to stand still
He spoke of upcoming travel
“I’m off to Mediterranean weathers”
How lovely a thought
“After the mountains”
She felt the yearning
The mountains inhabited her soul.
She thought of the upcoming winter
She was restless and lonely
Winter was coming
long months of ice and snow
Broken, slippery, dangerous ice
She like the ice, was breaking free into herself
‘Her husband’ finally saw they had separate lives
Separate lives for too long
They had grown use to living apart.
She reconciled herself that she had her mountains.
It was fall,
The air was crisp and leaves of varied colors
Sat in the stillness
She responded, dreading the impending winter
“I have mountains but they will be cold soon”
She had found her mountains
Surrounded herself and children with love
Sad that he had changed
He said he hated the mountains
Sad he no longer wanted her,
And would forever be gone from her life.
But she dreamt of some ‘mythic expositions’ His words hit that void in her soul
She had her mountains,
A quite conspicuous trait
Mountains upon her heart and chest and under her feet
She lived in, carried, and loved her mountains
And they would be cold soon.
Not soon, but this life doesn’t last forever
And then the mountains would be gone from her; cold and covered in icy snow
Her mountains would be cold soon
And her world would be frozen
She knew how to build a fire
They would still have their mythic expeditions
He hadn’t gone with them anyhow
Off for some mythic expeditions
Keeping each other warm through the storm.
On forward to live life to the fullest
Before the snow covers the mountains
Before the snow touches her soul.

By Tracy Marrs