LOOKING FOR THE MAN WHO RAN

Looking For The Man Who Ran

The stars were so bright

And the moon so full

I swear I could see the cactus

Moving surreptitiously

Across the red desert floor.

One last bite of hard bread

One sip of lukewarm water

A bit of prayer

And I snuggled down against the cold.

The neighing of the horse

Woke me from a dreamless sleep

And I lay there underneath the sky

And thought about your face.

Traveling’s never brought me

Closer to you

Searching has never taken me

To the place to which you ran.

But I keep riding

I keep looking and I keep hoping

Up every steep green mountain

Down every low lonely valley.

They say you killed a man for me

But I don’t know

I’ve never looked at other men

Though maybe some have looked at me.

There’s never been room inside my soul

For anyone else but you

And your quiet ways

And your laughing eyes and quick hands.

The horse looks at me with pity

Turns his back and flicks his tail

He knows I’m thinking about you again

And he’s sorry he woke me.

A soft cool wind sweeps by, caresses my skin

And I burrow deeper into the blanket

And fall back to sleep

Dreaming that I hear footsteps

Walking toward me in the starlight.

©by Voo

June 9, 2007

1:30 a.m.