Donkey

To walk sure-footed, clippety clop, quick

yet focused on the matter at hand

which is nothing more or less than the earth

beneath your feet - the trail you follow

knowing by heart each twist and turn,

each bump, dip, hole, runoff, where it is smooth

and where the rocks gather, and when to lean

into the hill until your head

is nearly touching the ground

and the dust makes you snort

yet you keep on up the slope until it levels out

and the trail narrows overlooking the canyon hundreds of feet below.

It's all the same to you as you chew a clump of crabgrass

and paw the rock while we take photos.

You snort with impatience, eager to get going again,

to return from where you came

though it isn't the destination that matters.

All that matters is getting there.