His table was across the room
And we both were gazing through the glass
Watching the Smoky Mountain sunset
Another day had come to pass
I found it mesmerizing to study
The mountain line blending into night
It was as if the ridgeline and the darkness
Could not be divided by any light
The sunset shadows and shades
Were silent and creeping in
I barely noticed as the waitress
Refilled my glass again
The Cherokee across the room smiled
As she carried his plate away
His thoughts given by his glance
It was something that words could not convey
His eyes shone like the debuting stars
That were beginning to glisten in the sky
I could tell he knew many stories
That he would take to the grave when he would die.
I looked back to the ridges
They were fading into the dark
And suddenly that Cherokee was beside me
His eyes were full of spark
He said, Son, it is not about the difference
Of telling the mountain from the night
It is more about what you see
In the darkness and in the light.”
I thought for a moment on this
It was such a revelation to bear
I began to respond to the thought
But the Cherokee was no longer there.
©.Sutton Aquarius