I went hiking up a mountain,
I couldn't tell you where it was, I was hopelessly lost,
My compass was broken, my backpack was heavy and my legs were tired of walking,
I couldn't stop for fear that I would never find my way backwards or forwards,
I couldn't stop, the fear of suspended animation was too great,
Then I saw a man, sitting at the edge of a cliff,
I couldn't decide if he was lost or if he was just suicidal.
I was taught not to talk to strangers,
Be a good girl, don't tell everyone everything, keep your secrets, keep your pain, always smile, don't let them see who you really are.
I ventured a timid hello, and he turned around and smiled like he'd known me forever.
I couldn't help but smile back and put my backpack down for a little while,
My shoulders were aching from all the weight I was carrying,
We didn't talk much, we just sat there, staring ahead, each lost in their own thoughts,
I couldn't tell you how long we sat there.
My watch was broken you see and time seemed like it didn't matter,
I had no hope of ever going back to where I'd come from,
I had no way of knowing if I'd ever find my destination,
The fear was back and as I stood up to leave, he didn't stop me,
But, just looked at me with kindness and asked me to leave my backpack behind,
'It's too heavy a burden for you to carry', he said, 'you don't need it where you're going.'
'Where am I going?', I asked
'You'll know when you get there', he replied before turning away,
So I left my backpack behind and I walked on,
Faith was all I had and for the moment that was enough.