at the start
the entrance to the hall
all of the doors
still lie ahead
and as a young man
you can pass them by
like the abundance
that they are.
the longer you go
the more doors are left behind,
the hallway grows shorter
and the possiblity of an end
becomes now conceivable.
the doorways become precious
and every opportunity to open one
is held, relished, considered
unlike the brash
kicking down
of doors
in our youth.
remember from time to time
that the smash crash
of spontaneous entrance
was what made the whole thing work.
remember too
that the doors kicked in
are more likely
to be boarded up
upon revisiting.
some were never meant
for a second chance
these rooms
celebrations of youth
being the best
the fastest
the highest
the farthest
can be left smoldering
in your wake.
I watch the leaves fall today
early for autumn
and thumb the pages
recounting the days winnings
olympic trials
and savor with both things
the bittersweet
of old dreams of youth
as they tumble along
crumbling leaves
grey asphalt
breeze at their backs.