Big Sur
by Michael Doyle

Thinking back under Indiana's rain
Memories of a life spent in refrain
Where too much was never quite enough
And jokers begged a thief to call his bluff

I remember back to when weeks were done
We'd pack the car to drive up Highway One
There was always so much seen in scenery
An endless stretch of iconic greenery

California was home as I came to believe
Leaving there was something I couldn't conceive
Bixby Bridge crossed to heaven from this earth
Filled with happy songs and endless mirth

Looking out on oak, chaparral, and redwood
Somewhere the drops of soft rain are understood
There was a call of freedom running wild
That always made me feel like nature's child

Jade Cove pushes and pulls with currents and tides
While up above Ventana, the condor soars and glides
Many times, we had hiked these meandering trails
As the footpaths of our lives quietly unveiled

All our secrets were not so very secret after all
We would laugh as we lived under the McWay Falls
Sitting in Indiana, it's strange they've closed the beach
Where it seemed we once had life's answers in our reach

It seemed as though we were driving the world's edge
One foot more and we might topple right over the ledge
I smile as I remember the sunshine of all those days
Until a tear forms for all the joy we had put away

(c) May 19, 2023  Michael Doyle
All Rights Reserved