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The Same Path
“No man ever steps into the same river twice, for it is not the same river, and he is not the same man.” Heraclitus, 6th century BCE.
Quietly treading the same path each day
would seem to some a very tame endeavor.
The same feet following the same old way
must hardly ever stumble on adventure.
Yet those who walk with bright and watchful eyes,
ears tuned to the slightest squeak or rustle
know the thrill of the minutest surprise,
the adding of a piece to nature’s puzzle.
The path is not the only thing to change
from day to day, from breath to breath;
Palping the range of our emotions,
We shift and shimmer, seldom stopping to rest.
Heraclitus, how sound your sage advice:
We cannot step upon the same path twice.