an icy sidewalk
a beautiful path
to our temporary home
i slip along uphill
happily passing
by the river Mad

through this
snowglobe village
past windows aglow
families settle in
to an early dusk
dinner aromas
mix out here
each breath
blends with
smells of sweet pine
no one notices me
passing by
happily enjoying
this river Mad

they don’t know
i am walking away
pondering not
how my life’s
path brought me here
but the moving on
how brief the moments
my last time here
i walk happily
along this river Mad

have i finally
learned the lesson of
breathing deeply
smelling sweetly
listening intently
savoring each moment
with each precious soul
i met here
however briefly
happily i pass
along this river Mad

one last time

© Brooks Bradbury / BrooksLooks 2025

In tribute to the village of Warren, Vermont.