October 1st

“For the gate is narrow and the road is hard that leads to life, and there are few who find it.” Matthew 7:14

it is that road less taken
that children can find
with their eyes closed.
it is that footprints-less beach
covered with starfish longing
to be thrown back into the sea.
it is that cracked and wonky
sidewalk lined with the homes
where the widowed sit on porches
hoping someone will stop,
just for a moment.
it is that tangled, brambled
path in the woods that the dog
wiggles into, leading us to
those pools of clear water
beside grassy lawns of grace.
it is the weathered, off-kilter,
creaking-in-the-wind gate
which the caretaker left open
so we can find our way home.

© 2025 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman