hiraeth

We took the short cut
Up the mountain
Following the trickle of water rushing past our shoes
Little steps to combat the mud hiding under every innocent squish of grass
And I felt the familiar ache of
My lungs straining to keep up as our feet
Beat the road less taken
And wondered briefly if it was even a path at all
Or another (lesser) waterfall
We wrapped our arms together we climbed
and clambered to where the river met the sky
Sat on the edge of the world
Our toes dangling over the brink of a roaring, tumbling, writhing snake
Pounding relentlessly through the boulders below
Taking no prisoners
And took a picture
Like we could capture the way the sun hit the hillside
Or the taste of autumn in the leaves
Like we could hold the weekend in our hands like a firefly
A glowing glimmer
Starlight playing hide and seek with the whirlpools in your fingertips
Galaxies in miniature

We would forget when it rained all day
Or how we all grumbled at the way the road pitted and pot-holed along
So we had to get out and walk
Or how we all talked at the same time
The traffic jams
How the crepes stuck to the pan
Or how you claimed you held your breath
To win a game of hide and seek
How I spilled my tea when running from a wasp
Those irritating oyster grains
Spilling out of our memories
Lost in a sea of endless trees