Retrace

I have walked this path before
I can see myself here, my very first time..
How I took the wrong turn and had to walk back
And start, all over again
That stub of a tree by that curve -- I used it as a chair
And wept, thinking I will never make it
I sat by the lake and forgot where I was going
Only to be rushed by the urgency of my goal
Sometimes, in moments of utter embitterment,
I swore that I would never come back here
But by the time it all ended, my feelings of hate and love did too..
I don't know if that is good or bad, but that is how it is!

Now that I walk again, with you, I feel a bit concerned
A bit constrained to be honest, with this iteration
But it is so refreshing to know that it ends
The crunching of maple leaves under our footsteps..
I want to hug you when you want to give up
I want to tell you that I have been there
Exactly on that stub of a tree of a chair!
I can see where you could make mistakes, well..
I prefer just to see it and smile, not stop you from it
For however painful it is now, I know you will own it next time
You will be eager to walk; for the familiarity and nostalgia
You will be confident, cautious and eager to teach..
And I don't want to rob you of that beautiful Retrace.