Wizened, like the mountain ridges in the west, you gazed across the desk at me, rheumy eyes unblinking, and asked me what I wanted from life
When I answered, the blue opacity of your gaze seemed to sharpen and pierce my soul you clasped your hands comfortably, and rolled your ancient shoulders back - trees rippled in the ridges of your crisply pressed shirt - and you told me, with your well-worn voice, that you would exert every effort to give me all the tools I needed to succeed
as you blinked, our conference ended, like the sun had gone down I was free to leave, but lingered your short white hair crested your brow like a fresh snowcap, you had ravines beside your eyes, and smiled like a canyon so I turned to go
And it occurred to me, as I left the inclines of your presence for the flat horizons of my daily life, that I would like to have the same peace that flowed through your being, it would be a healthy rain to the desert of my soul.
I longed to have the verdancy that you had - you, forty years my senior; you put my youth to shame but soon you would be my teacher, and you would not let me go to waste