warning of passages end
the traveler who stops at
the edge
must choose to retrace
the errors of his road
over and over until
the lion yawning dives
over the edge to die
then perhaps
all warnings gone
the journey might continue
still it has never happened
the lions mouth opens forever
to warn and the traveler
too
forever waits at the edge
for permission to leave
the world
the lion has never died
the traveler never learned
the truth of the edge
this is called
with good reason
the way of wisdom and folly
for lion and traveler both
until one day exhausted
lion and traveler
change places
like children at a summer
game
whose boredom has not filled
a summer afternoon
is there not need for mirrors
here
must they change
again again again
into each other
at each edge of the universe
i stand with lion and traveler