Just Jim was his name
He was old and thin
And his gaze told of better days
Wandered by himself
Scorning lifts in cars
Trudging the road was life for him
I saw him once
In a clover field
Watching the clouds drift slowly by
Then by running stream
Did ease his parched thirst
In August's month of flaring sun
Tiny was his footprint
Broad his winsome smile
In sand dunes or the melting snow
He laughed with such joy
Midst some milkweed plants
Then thick with Monarch butterflies
He loved this wild world
And saw more than most
Happy no doubt to perish there
Image found at wwhw.sciencemag.org
Midst some milkweed plants
ReplyDeleteThen thick with Monarch butterflies... what a joyous sight!
Happiness is where you find it. No-one else can dictate where.
ReplyDeleteButterflies are a good guide to follow
ReplyDeleteRich and emphatic portraiture here, simply elegant.
ReplyDeleteHappy in his own way – and what better can any of us ask?
ReplyDeleteI love the idea of following butterflies ❤️ Beautifully poignant.
ReplyDeleteEndings are often sad... But when one gets lucky, bittersweet is possible. If we are going anyway, it's a gift to go on one's own terms... and in a place one loves.
ReplyDelete"He loved this wild world." Such souls are happier than many, I do believe.
ReplyDeleteBliss, heaven on earth. Delightful.
ReplyDeleteClick to visit Keith's Ramblings!
This is like following your heart or intuition. Thanks for the reminder, Robin.
ReplyDeleteThe "perish" feels like such a dash of cold water to the face, even though the first sentence told us he exists in past tense. Yet, there is such a joy to this, even though we know things must end, that the reader feels happy that he was happy with his decisions and where it took him.
ReplyDeleteI think this sounds like the best end you can wish for acutally.
ReplyDeleteHe may be "just Jim", but I think he saw the world in ways many will never know. He set his own path and traveled with the wind.
ReplyDeleteWould that all our footprints in this fragile world were tiny like Jim's!
ReplyDeleteGreat story!
ReplyDeleteZQ
such a good portrait of Jim. Enjoyed reading this.
ReplyDeleteHow I'd love to sit by a campfire and hear Jim tell stories!
ReplyDeleteA good look at Jim.
ReplyDeleteSome people are born with wise old souls. For others, it is a long journey to a state of peaceful acceptance and serenity in nature's ways. Though their path is often seen as unconventional, and even eccentric ... they are blessed.
ReplyDeleteA story well told
ReplyDeleteHappy Sunday
much love...
Lots of vivid imagery. You bring him to life,
ReplyDeleteElizabeth
Certainly one of my favs of yours!!
ReplyDeleteThey are happy doing their own thing! It's all that matters!
ReplyDeleteHank