transition

jose luis
the mountain guide
climbed mountains for
12 years
in his eyes
was done
a year more, he said
then he would stop

jesus was the cook
but he was stronger
and knew more about the land
we joked about him opening
a restaurant

vico was the amazon biologist
six years of explaining
the science of the jungle
next year he too would
move to a new town
and quit explaining

meg & nik
were right before
the rest of their lives
marriage, babies, and mortgage