you said you needed to go piss on a tree
I waited beside the road a while
then walked to where I could look down
where the cliff fell away to a river far below us
across it a meadow spread, then a hill rolled
and another mountain climbed higher than we had
probably there were other people about
probably deer and bear and coyotes or wolves
badger, squirrels, and animals I never think of
but just then in the quiet, stillness reigned
even the breeze barely swung tree branches
it didn’t last, you finished, and an SUV drove up
children unpacked from it like clowns and ran
to gather round our Harleys and chatter what they knew
mother and father climbed out wearily and eyed us
then hollered at the kids like parents must
you and I rode on, the kids watched us depart
and that night, watching a campfire
that eerie moment came back to me
and I wondered whether it or any like it
ever would mean anything
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