Hitching a Ride to Nowhere
By John Herlihy

As the hours passed,
As much experience amassed,
As the macadam blackened,
As many years slackened,
As the roads done divided,
As the crossroads did decided,
As many emotions did emerge,
As hope and despair did surge,
As happiness seemed on borrow,
As fate brought its share of sorrow.

I find myself still taking to the road,
One final journey as my time slowed,
I laid my head down in many places,
Filled the brim, emptied many spaces,
On the cold stones of mountain caves,
The peaks and troughs of ocean waves,
Enjoyed the kindness of many a stranger,
All the while feeling like the Lone Ranger,
The only true home I have ever known,
The home in my heart thru hardship sewn.

When the sun doth set,
When twilight shadows any regret,
When I count up the passing years,
When I fill a thimble full of tears,
When many a friend dies by the wayside,
When I suffer no longer from inflated pride,
When the voices I knew dwindle to none,
When I appreciate solitude no longer to shun,
When I finally desire only to be completely alone,
When I acknowledge my wrongs, ready to atone.

Ready to take one final journey even to nowhere,
Ready to accept that I was trying to get somewhere,
Ready to give up everything in the world that I possess,
Ready to surrender whatever in life may oppress,
Ready to be a chipmunk hitching a ride to the stars,
Ready to journey far beyond the horizon as far as Mars,
Ready to accept the final destiny that to me has been given,
Ready to fight off any final challenges my way driven,
Ready to march one day at a time to the sound of drums,
Ready to breathe my last glorious breath when the final day comes.