My Excursion

By Jennifer Heffernan

Once this journey begins,

my hands are quick,

turning and turning.

Anxious for more.

Giving to me, so open and free,

the mountain of pages, I climb.

My thirst,

impossible to quench.

Surrendering to my exhaustion,

is not an option.

To put down?

To end here?

Another chapter, a page,

a mere line, or a word more,

I have to push on.

The path might make me

laugh, cry, spit or go mad.

Navigating these uncharted trails,

to ascend,

feed my spirit and mind.

Give me peace

after a stormy day.

Suddenly, I find myself on the summit,

with no more.

My journey, it ends.

Taking a deep breath,

basking in the warmth of my climb,

I gaze steadily over the valley of shelves before me,

and pick my next trek.