At dawn, I locked the door from outside

and put the keys in the side pocket

of my white shirt and headed

north of my house on narrow

trails of beaten earth. I want to

go to the mountains today. I want to

walk along the edge of the rugged

cliffs somewhere barefoot and feel the

earth underneath. I want to wash

up with pouring cold waterfall

leaping off the loose rocks from the heights.

I want to stand facing the spring mountains

and feel the cool wind blow

against my face. I want the woodsy

smells of cedar and pine warm my nostril.

I want to feel the first ray of crisp morning

sun touching the skin of my face.

I want to see the rays of sun tipping

over the horizon. At night, I want

to lie down in the crest of the craggy hills

and watch the bright moon drift

in the cloudless sky. Today, I don’t

want to return home. I want to

live closer to nature where I belong

in the darkness of nights.