So, two hikers, lost
In Lost Creek,
Asked to follow me
To our cars.
There’s no disgrace
In getting lost;
Rather the opposite.
You wouldn’t know
Any ancient Greeks
By name had they turned
Promptly home and calmly
Docked by lunch.
Yet, every step we took,
Those Minnesotans and me,
I wondered who
Was robbing whom:
They me, of my Golden Fleece,
My solitude;
Or me them, of their
Triumphant return,
Their Penelopes, hungry
After all these years,
Aroused by every half healed scar,
Every punishing bruise of the gods.
Anyway, we arrived at the parking lot
And I took their picture
Before driving myself
Home over Kenosha pass,
Safe and alone in my car
Listening to Bach
Without much to note
Except a mosquito bite or two.
Wonderful dance with these words and your time with strangers. You’ve really painted a picture of the complexities of relying on the generosity of others. Even handing someone our phone to take our picture. And I loved you last lines connect Bach and notes. Great poem.