Memories On The Trail
When I die
Scatter my ashes
Alongside the trail
so my spirit soul
may join with the fairies
frolicking and sprinkling
an aura
of goodness, lightness, and joy
into
the hearts of passer byes.
In the miles and miles
I’ve
covered in almost a half a century of walking
my Ashland trail
I’ve enjoyed making friends and
engaging in the simple ritual of saying 'hello'.
“Hello”, “How are you?”,
'What a cute dog!',
“Enjoy your walk and your day”.
Or for those enjoying a quiet day
a simple smile or nod and
wave suffices
to acknowlege 'I see you', 'You matter'
'Peace be with you'.
These
simple niceties are the grease
and glue welcoming us into each others lives
on the promenade,
providing an uplift
to our days
and solidifying a camaraderie among us.
Through
the years, the seasonal changes
Have
always invoked warm memories
as
I walk my beloved trail.
On sunny,
but chilly days, the winds
blow in memories of childhood days:
Memories
of standing on a hill in Malibu
with my mother one
singular windy day
when
I was a toddler
flying a kite as she held me
and made me feel eternally warm and safe;
Memories
of lazy childhood
Saturday
afternoons in Los Altos Hills,
resting after
morning chores were done
basking in the warmth of the sun
sitting on the swing set in the backyard
listening
to the distant sound
of
a lawn mower
or the far away drone of a plane.
As I invoke these memories
through engaging all my senses on the trail,
I am relaxed, warm and content.
I am loved and feel the depth of belonging.
All
is right with the world.
So
when I die
throw
my ashes
along
the trail
so I
may join the fairies
in blessing
all who meander by
with memories and good feelings of their own.
When
I die
scatter
my ashes
alongside
the trail
so that
my spirit soul
may
gently swirl and
exuberantly
dance around
the dogs and humans
with
tenderness and care,
eliciting
a tail wag or smile
when
caught unaware.
Let me continue to give back
What has been given to me—
A sense of love, peace, joy and belonging
along this personal promenade
so full of goodwill and happy memories.
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