finding serenity

beneath a rusty railroad bridge,
that spans the great brown
serpent of the james river,
where the footpath
curves the contours of the cliff,
hundreds of feet above the valley,
we lay on a nose of rock,
jutting out into the cool air.

birds float lazy circles,
an ant finds the peek of our rock,
ascending from below,
a lady bug curtsies before flitting away
and the weight of nothingness
whistles around us, as we
dangle our feet over eternity.

a great steel beast roars,
taking the bridge, shaking
the day with its thunderous clamor,
its echoes chasing it
out of sight, once more.

morning dew paints our shoes
dark & grey, as i jot this note
on a dried bamboo leaf,
found along the way,
releasing it to the wind,
an invitation to join us,
here on the edge of creation.