After This Moment

     The sun had risen and blessed the day.  As we shared a view of the valley of dreams, sitting beneath the pine and firs.  "You have the Wisdom of a tree, my friend.", he said as the smoke rose in the southern sky.

    I smiled and said, "Thank-you".  Then I rose from the sacred ground to get a better view of the smoke.  I watched as it slowly disappeared, as if it was never there in the first place. Suddenly I felt silence and regret hanging in the wind and I turned to see tears in his eyes.  "You are Leaving...?"

      "Yes."

       "Will I see you again?", I asked.  He looked at me, our thoughts and souls touched.

      "How long have we been?", then he turned and looked right into the sun and said. "How long do we have after this moment?"  Then he turned and looked towards the south and saw the smoke return. "We will see other again, for we have forever.  And my child, forever is a really long time."

       And so we parted for a time, both knowing that the sun and the smoke would rise again...