somedays i feel like an existential john the baptist
crying out for understanding and love
in an altogether different wilderness

though, our beards are probably approaching similar

the people i meet are always in transition
and when we've found one another
what i can breathe into them is a sense
of calm amidst complacency
and true love within a moment

i collect these people like tattoos
each one permanently written on my heart
their stories binding with mine for only a moment
our conversations remembered for a life time

because it really is better
to step away from money and comfort
to pursue that which makes your heart flutter
and a dream
is always something i will validate

i've been trying to remember all week
what about PHC's poems reminded me
so vividly in one ride
of my fathers bike

but that thought is gone
as is the whiskey that birthed it
so i'll say truths i know about the bike
and see if they ring true for his words

its well maintained, watched after
valued
always available for when i need it most
and ready for the adventure
that is having me drunkenly
traverse towns and trails
like i never left

i always meet people in transition
and all i really want
is a her with some freckles
a wise head on her shoulders
a clever tattoo or two
and the patience to let me wander
and the sight to see all

that makes me wonder