Brisk Walk

The recycled air is suffocating

Like an astronaut high in a space station

I long to escape

If only for a moment

The world outside my door calls me

Less layers required than a spacewalk

A chilly wind flows through the empty branches

The evening light casts long shadows

Overlapping trees create fractal patterns

A never-ending math problem

With no exact purpose I walk a perimeter

The large cemetery provides solitude

Headstones describe those who came before

I discover there is still room at the front

Even in death, people are afraid to sit up-front

A gentle reminder of life’s only guarantee

Perhaps I’ll know the next person

I return to my shelter

Thankful for the warmth

Encouraged to try a different route in the future