Friends envy me, saying i dare to go where they dream to ride—

Across frail rope bridges spanning mountain rivers charging far below;

Sleeping on cold stone benches in roadless villages where feral hounds trace circles in the night;

Waking against ricesacks and backpacks on a bonejarring bus roof careering faster than wind can go;

Playing an endless game of chess in a concrete depot, anxious for a train that never shows;

Saying goodbye to anyone I ever loved or knew  before—

Wind and squall throw us off deck, Indian Ocean stars greet us far below.

Friends, don't envy me adrift on currents  swifter than our soul;

In sleep they carry me to iceblack seas where stars are never born.

No bridge, no train, no bus, no dogs, no friends or love to know—

Until one night i take a breath, a cry pours out, dreaming you to wake and follow.