Her Lead

.Hiking together in the steep outer coast
                   Artemisia-covered hills
             of moist silver-
       green

the road is wide and umber
terracing the slope
                           as it is shunted aside
and
Egairia suggests they leave
                          the road     and go up over the hard
rocky     crest

Pahn pulls his grocery cart

rough and dragging
         up the broken
                   stony    ridge

Finding                                    
the other side           
far steeper

despairing to restrain
                    the cart down with him

Pahn lets go                            
 
                    that it rolls to the bottom
landing in a wet                     
ditch                                                               
 
                         He has doubts
about leaving it there
     but he is calmed
                  by Egairia’s lack
                                                      of concern

He follows                                        

her climbing the next ridge
   as she leads him
                         toward her house

…

Jumping into a chute                   

(stainless steel—
like a change maker)

they land               
                            easy in her kitchen
eating breakfast
and visiting her father—
                 a mild and encouraging
                                      incarnation of Pahn
He leaves them to their business
                                                                   going
about his chores 

and Pahn is comfortable            
in her place

…

After a time  

he remembers                               
               his people

and returns to the strength
 
                   the wheeled weight     of his

groceries

.

.