a few roads

there was a road
and there was another road.
one led to eden
where they wanted to go,
last paradise lost
the touch of human agony
mortal fear and immortal hope
vouched its beauty;
green and more green
and life amidst it
and a few packets of ruins
and ashes and debris
of all that was
and all that would be!
then there was another road
a little crooked, a little commonplace
waterlogged here and there,
muddy ochre on which they walked
carefully measuring each step
footprints on wet earth
to be sought and followed
by those behind!
ah!such beauty of ugliness
such addiction to tempest
and rainforests, dense and smoky;
such love for the journey
such fear of losing track
time and again.
and when they woke up
to bright summer skies
and sands of kalahari
they knew they would
walk again
meet again
on a third road
never walked before.