Dominic Middleton | + Follow Poet |
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Illusion of An Old Man

It came this day
As I journeyed south
That I happened upon
An old man
Filling water bottles
From a small pond
Fed from water
That gushed from rocks
Half way up
A mountain

It must be special, I said
If you’re going to lug this lot
Down this mountains hide
With a sly grin
And a nod to God
He handed me a bottle
Motioning to drink
This water
From the mountains side

Now I know 
Water shouldn’t have a taste
Sept that chlorinated crap 
From the towns taps
But as I took a generous gulp
From the old man’s generosity
Something
Flooded my body
Re-hydrating my soul
And got rid
Those concerning moles
Aches 
That plagued my bones
Doubts
That fogged my mind
Lifted
Like the morning
Sun rise
The dread
I felt
When looking up this mountain side
Evaporated
Into youthful excitement
To get a head on
Up its side
To the misty peaks
Above

The old man was smiling
He could see
The amazement
In my eyes
And my grin
That grew to a smile
Its then
That I noticed
The Illusion
Of the old man
And his smile

He was all
But old
With youthful
Muscle on bone
Hair that was blond
I could of sworn
Was grey
Not a moment before
No stoop
Nor limp
Or audible complaint
To movement
This illusionary
Old man
Was fitter
Then a wild 
Mountain goat

I reluctantly returned
The bottle
Taking my own
From my pack
Draining the contents
Away from these magical rocks
I knelt
As if praying
To the mountain
And its gift
Of water
That filled my bottle
I heard the old man behind me
You’ll find 
What you seek
Beyond those
Yonder peaks
In the misty mountains
Further down 
Your journey

I looked around
To reply
As to how he knew
What I seek
But he was disappearing 
Into the fog
That was rolling up
From the valley
Beneath
And my question
Hung
Somewhere
Between
Throat
And 
Spoke

Copyright © Dominic Middleton | Year Posted 2021

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