Have You Been Out There?

Have you been out there?
When the wolves hunt,
with their eyes white and bright as the moon.
Did you see paths in the jungle
and witness the tortuous call
of the mist urging you to venture?

Have you been out there?
In the middle of the night with the disturbing silence
that breaks before the owl’s cry.
Can you hear the howls?
So thunderous they startle
even the birds from their trees.

When the wind holds steady
and the climate punishes the unwary.
Have you gone where the wild wolves go?

Have you been out there?
When the wolves hunt,
with their pounding and intense hearts.
Did you hunt your prey with adrenaline
and taste the triumph
of courage filling your soul?

I stood at the top of the mountain.
I saw my eyes shining,
illuminated out there in the snow,
where the wind is merciless
with the weak of spirit.

I followed every path.
Where the old gray wolves go.
And there were no footprints there,
only mine.

I’ve been out there.
And living is a gift.