I count the days, they have given much,
The earth has spun for countless years.
I miss her smile and her loving touch,
She left me early though I kept her with my tears.

Oh my youth before the pain lighthearted am I,
Then the storm and its rain hovered over me.
Oh my mind it is time, time for one more try,
Once again to float on high, again to fly to Free.

Time, oh time you were once my friend,
But now you have seeped through my being.
There is no time’s companion, just the end,
I wish for the journey, again, I could be dreaming.

Oh cloud where, oh cloud come, please,
Take me once more on high.
To dance and roam thru the starry seas,
To hear the echo of my joyful cry.

I close my eyes and it starts to come,
The memory of when the cloud came to me.
And once took me on the journey from,
My bedroom to the far away land of Free.

He was at my window, hovering there,
Beckoning for me to come and see.
Opening the window I saw his smiling stare,
As he says, “Come with me to the land of Free.”

Going over the sill and on his back,
We shot off into the sky.
Rising high up in the night so black,
The cloud and I did amazingly fly.

Then says he, “Come and see,
You will always be, dreaming of Free.”
I was then a lad of ten, when it began,
Soaring high the cloud and I did fly.

 Oh says he, “What must this be,
Come see,”
With a rush and a whispered hush,
We burst into the starry sea.

We slowed our pace so I could taste,
The nectar and sweetness of outer space.
Then a voice crystal clear touched my ear,
Then says he, “Have no fear, do come near.”

“Ursa Major am I, and glad you came by,
Bend over the lip and take a dip,
From my cup refresh and sup,
Before you continue to fly.”

The cloud he waited by the rim,
While I swim he talked to him.
Climbing out on high with a joyful cry,
Away we did fly and I was dry.

There was a squeak and I took a peek,
“I am small, not very tall,” says he,
It was a little fellow floating up on high.
It was Ursa Minor with an audible sigh.

Oh sighs he, “Slow down and see,
Because I am meek my shine is weak.
But within my sight there is a light,
Holding tight while guiding men thru the night.”

I looked as we passed and gave a wave,
I liked the way he did behave.
We speeded up the cloud and I did fly,
Looking back I yelled very loud, “Goodbye.”

Looking ahead away we sped,
Another voice I could hear.
Coming here to my ear,
Sounding clear and very near.

“Orion am I, just come on by.”
“Oh,” says I, in a jubilant cry,
“Hello, how lovely to fly,”
Orion danced, just him and I.

The cloud says he, “we must be off to Free,”
So I climbed on board and away we soared.
Then says I, “To where do we fly,
And of this journey can you tell me why?”

Oh says he, “There is something to see,
Soon there we will be and you will see Free.”
As we traveled thru the sea,
I laughed as joy came full into me.

Suddenly it becomes day from some shinning array,
A shinning city meant to be,
By the radiantly flowing glass sea.
As we drew near without any fear,
The emerald city sparkled crystal clear.

Towards the now visible city lay in shinning array,
We swooped down, with speed we made no sound.
As we slowed I could see, someone looking back at me,
It was a she, glowing, loving, but who could it be.
The cloud just smiled,
“Don’t you fret, and the time is not ready for you yet.”

I wanted to play, I longed to stay,
“Let’s not go,” says I, The cloud began to cry.
Alas says he, “Lovingly, we must flee,
This must not be.”

There is something there that seems so fair,
Looking back at the halos glow, love did flow.
Then says I, “Why do I cry,
Why is she apart, why is there aching in my heart?”

Then says he, “You have seen Free,
It is time to go home you and me.”
Then says I, “Tell me why,”
Silence, as the cloud and I homeward fly.

I open my old eyes as I lay in my bed,
My old weak heart still feels the joy of Free.
Then reality comes with its ugly head,
My life’s partner gone, alone, it’s just me.

 How can I continue while counting the seconds toil?
How can I lay still on this cold dark bed?
No more can I absorb a lonely life’s recoil,
While waiting for someone to say, “He’s dead.”

My heart misses a beat, I falter,
Movement by the window catches my eye.
It’s the cloud by my windows alter,
Whispering, “It’s ok, let us fly, you and I.

As I rise from my body prone,
As I seek to look through this lifeless shroud.
Dare I finally dream I am going home?
Dare I dream of a journey and a cloud?

The cloud just turned with a quiet calm,
Soothing like a healing balm.
Mounted again on high,
The cloud and I, away we fly.

Old cloud my old friend, what is just around the bend.
From the start says he, It was time for you to see,
Hope’s heart and your destiny.
Hope’s heart and the journeys end.

As we fly within the starry sea,
I ponder what is to become of me.
Suddenly in my ear, I can hear,
“Hello my old friend, this is not the end.”

“Ursa Major am I, I once dipped my cup,
Now you are all grown up,
And well you fly as you pass by.
How good of you to slow and say hi.”

“Oh cloud”, says I, “Where do we fly,
And what passes by from on high”.
Look says he, “There is a friend,
You face life’s beginning not its end.”

 Ursa Miner gives a wave that is so small,
But he looks as if he has grown so tall.
“Hello says he, you must be,
On your way to the land of Free.”

“Yes”, says I, “That is why we fly,
And is why we pass you by.”
“Good”, says he, “A joyful journey to Free,
Nice of you to slow and say hi to me.”

As we fly around the sea,
The hunter looms in front of me.
The cloud slows and Orion knows,
“It is good you to see”, says he.

We passed our friends and heard their say,
Then we came to the city of shinning array.
We landed on the very spot,
The one I have always sought.

I put my foot down upon the ground,
And slowly turned to look around.
There was someone looking back at me,
It was that she, glowing, loving here at Free.

Her face no trace as I thought about my life,
And how much in love I was with my wife.
The tears came and I began to cry,
The cloud hovered over me and gave a sigh.

Then says he, “It is your destiny,
This you see is your journey to Free.
You saw her then and love began,
It grew thru life as your wife.
And will grow thru eternity,
You have come home to the land of Free.

With that the she turns full around to me,
Her face I finally see, realizing my destiny.
For that she is She,
The one that is dearest to me.

That old cloud turned gray and started to swell,
His eyes filled with water and raindrops fell.
His heart beat with glee, he smiled deep at me,
“Welcome my old friend”, said he,
"Welcome home to the land of Free.”

I turned to her outstretched hands reaching for me,
Again our hearts were joined, this time forever.
We will be one now and always for all eternity,
A love that grows as one that nothing can sever.

Hope’s heart is birthed in youth,
And grows with the passing of time.
Love comes with the lives of truth,
And may your journey to Free be kind.

by, Theodore A. Cline