I am small and helpless. People carry me and feed me.
I learn to walk and follow those people until I am grown.
One day we come to a fork in the path. A strong feeling
makes me choose the way no one else chooses. I am sad
and afraid, but I don’t go back.
Years pass and my fear and sorrow disappear.
I come to a raging river. Many people live here.
They never try to cross the torrent. I stay here until
I grow restless and try to cross. I am swept downstream
and can’t get out until the waters slow and leave me
on the far shore where there is no path.
I wander through a dark forest until I find a faint path,
but I cannot decide which way to go, so I build a hut
and live next to the path for many years.
One morning you come along and we like each other
and we decide to go on together.
We come to a village on a river. The villagers
welcome us and help us build a boat.
We row across the river and go on. But we miss those
people who helped us build our boat, so we row back
to them and build a house in the village.
This is where we are now.
fin
Tood’s new book Good With Dogs and Cats: The Adventures of Healing Weintraub and many of his other books are available from Apple and Amazon and other online book merchants.