ten thousand stone steps
slippery at dawn, at noon
as mist never stops
ten thousand reasons
to be afraid of this hike,
yet we keep trekking
ten thousand peak views
all in different shades of light
just like our marriage
ten thousand questions
when we married at twenty
look how far we’ve come
he finally sees
his HMS Victory
in her dry dock bed
how victorious
twenty-five years we’ve waited
to take this long trip
always toting kids
or visiting our family
never alone time
the fish and chips speak
whispers of a turquoise sea
beckoning us: more
monumental start
to a pretty walking trip
of a London day
Tower Bridge tour
with views of the mighty Thames
where they built this town
an historic bar
rebuilt four centuries back
for beers in cellars
with first flight canceled,
a frenzied drive across town
against Swift traffic
we made it in time
to a line wrapped three times round
the doomed terminal
we had just hours
after a year of planning
to catch the right plane
at the airport bar
post-security panic
we toasted our luck
he saw my new ‘do
the grins of relief returned
twenty-five years in
on board, luck joined us
with a whole row to ourselves
on “overbooked” flight
what a start to our
silver anniversary
purple as the sun
ten gallons of paint
in two shades of first-place blue
nine sets of hands working
on their shared day off
eight sets of curtains
washed and re-hung
seven stairs on each level
to paint between the cracks
six day deadline to
start a vacation, a new life
five day miracles happen
with many hands making light work
four levels to scrub grime
from walls, baseboards, and floors
three gallons of cleaner
to rub our hands raw
two levels of pet-pee-stained carpet
replaced at an affordable rate
one hell of a victory
for the life we work so hard to achieve
my students need clothes
and “generosity lives”
is this store’s motto
javelina hike
to a cactus-filled Thumb Butte
to start the morning
a Whiskey Row lunch
Watson Lake under blue skies
for the afternoon
my daughter’s new friends
soon to be her new roommates:
a perfect evening
Monument Valley:
the perfect sunrise rest stop
to light our faces
snow at Grand Canyon:
surprise bucket list side trip
to catch her snowfall
all three together:
it feels like a bucket list
to let them g(r)o(w)
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