Mile High Steps

This one gets a little personal.  It was written as an anniversary gift to my wife (and timeless old friend), Beverly.  In 1990, while we were both going to college and dating, I went to Denver, CO that summer to visit her at her home and meet her family.  As part of that trip, we took a picture sitting on the steps of the Colorado State capital in downtown Denver.  There is a step with a little metal plaque marking the spot at which you are one mile above sea level- which is what gives Denver it's nickname of the "Mile High City."  We were married the following summer of 1991.  Then in 2010, on a family vacation back to Denver to visit Beverly's family, we went back to the Colorado State Capitol and took another picture there- but this time with our six children.  I originally just wanted to have the two pictures side by side, but when I saw them, I knew it needed a poem.  This is how it ended up turning out.  Even though this one is more personal, I hope you can find universal meaning in it and feel the same feelings of wonderment at just being part of the eternal nature of Life.   

Here are the pictures.  My wife wants it known that she's lost all the baby weight since this picture was taken! (She has).

Mile High Steps

Just twenty years ago

Two timeless old friends,

Recently reunited,

Dressed in new young bodies--

Sat together for a moment

On mile-high steps.

With giddy smiles

And sparkling eyes,

They captured their image

On fading film.

But their ancient souls knew

Far beyond

What their young minds

Could imagine,

That a spectacular seed

Had just been planted by God.

And, like all God's creations,

Would still be a springtime sapling,

Long after the captured image faded--

Long after these mile-high steps of stone,

And these bodies of clay,

Crumbled into dust.

Now just twenty years later,

The two friends return once more

To sit for a moment

On mile-high steps.

With giddy smiles

And sparkling eyes,

That now see a little more

Than they used to,

The friends capture another image.

This time of a perfect sprouting seedling

That now includes

Six more timeless old friends

That have joined in the dance.

And twenty years from now

Or  twenty eons--

It makes no difference--

The two old friends

Will sit again

On mile-high steps

Of Stone or Spirit.

And resting for a moment

From their labors of love,

Will look at each other

With giddy smiles

And sparkling eyes.

And rejoice anew

With God

In the ceaselessness

Of the forest of life

That has grown

From the sparkling seed

Planted together ages ago

On mile-high steps.

(c) John E. Groberg, All rights reserved

Written July 26, 2010