On those cool summer nights
We would walk through the grass
And our feet would get wet from the dew
I know my companions
Ever faithful
Who would never leave my side
As I would never leave theirs
As we walked through the darkness
Ever resolute
Determined to accomplish our self appointed task
To spread our word
To teach others what we have discovered in these trying times
And most of all to learn from those who came before
So that we may do the same when our children come to us
Eventually we will part when we finish
And each will turn to a different corner of this world
Where we will live out the rest of our lives with what we have gained
Ever thoughtful
Always aware in the back of our minds
Of that important message
That brief quip of unadulterated human wisdom
Built up piece by piece over the years
Like adding a fresh coat of paint to a living room wall
Until it is thicker than the point where the sky meets the ocean
Ever adamant
We will count down the days until the clock strikes us
Lying in bed next to our husbands and wives
Or alone with nothing but our thoughts and fears
Someday we will meet again
After we leave all we have
Like an old photo slid between two pages of a good novel
We will have moved through our story
After we read the epilogue of our predecessors so long ago
Ever wary
Our cast has played their parts
And whether we realized it or not
So did we
We will go with a cry or a whimper
With tears streaming down our faces
Or laughter in our bellies
We will make no mistake
We will go
Ever obedient
When we realize our privilege to open our eyes
We see all those familiar faces
All the others who felt what we all feel sometime in our lives
Who saw what we must do if we are to grow into something beautiful
We will smile with hope that we did all we could
And begin to dry our feet