Dear Backpack

As we lay on the cool grass today,

Watching the fluffy clouds and hearing the trees sway,

I thought of all that we had dreamt of together,

Of faraway lands and wandering forever.

Of red lanterns adorning hutongs,

And oriental villages dancing to Mandarin songs.

Of befriending strangers each place we went,

New stamps on each postcard we sent.

Of worn books and reading by the noisy sea,

The only constant companions, you and me.

Of tents under a starry night sky,

The simple joy of a stream murmuring nearby.

Of conquering tree lines and verdant meadows,

Obstinate rocks and freshly fallen snows.

Of cairns and azure lakes and glaciers in the nude,

The ecstasy of exhausted muscles defeating altitude.

Dear dream weaver, it’s time to go home now,

We’ll chase those dreams, someday, somehow.