I try to get out for a morning walk 3-4 times per week.  Fortunately there is a small river that runs near our house and the city maintains a walking trail along the flood plain — this is the Nicomekl ( pronounced nikomekle) River and Flood Plain trail. It’s mostly a quiet little trail, but over the years I’ve walked it I have made friends among the many who walk it too — I affectionately call them the Nicomekl Regulars.  I appreciate the way a community can be formed even when it is in constant motion (maybe this is a characteristic of all communities even when we gather in one place — they shift and change and adapt).

This poem tries to describe the people — not everybody engages the trail in the same way — can you guess which one I am?

Nicomekl Regulars

Dog walkers, spandexed joggers
mom-powered strollers and
wheel assisted rollers, exercisers,
older-wisers, graffiti jokers, even
smoker-tokers; a first time
explorer, a bi-law enforcer,
hikers, bikers, dashers, splashers
and sad unfortunate crashers.

Bird watchers – slow and slower,
middle aged nordic-poler,
cell phone talker, stop and talkers,
meet-ers, greeters and environmental
appreciators. From waddle-toddler
to cane-propped plodder,
a Nicomekl Regular can be anyone.

© 2016 – Laurel Archer