Sacred Spring

03.24.2022

Today she told me she wanted to go to the mountains.
We both knew it would be hard for her to handle it
We both knew the time would come either way though
I let her lead
And we went back to where we had raised her
Back to the first cave we visited together
And then we went to another spot
I opened the car door
And off she went
Step by step she knew the way
She began to eat chicken
She smiled like a pup again
She stumbled over the rocks and we went to where the Chumash elder had once stood
And not so long ago
Said those words which I still hear today “know the reason why the leaf falls from the tree”
She was the happiest I had seen her in weeks
She became thirsty and like she had 1000 times before

She found her way to the spring

How she had the energy to make it that far I will never know
What happened at that spring I will never say
She is resting in her bed now
That place, that spring,
Will never be the same again

When you go away, when you go away
When you go away from here
May you go in peace, may you go in peace
When you go away from here