Advent, Day 19: A Million Mornings Long

(Day 19 of this year’s Advent series. Yesterday’s piece was about note taking; today we consider side quests.)

A Million Mornings Long

A million mornings long,
By way of night – 
A million sunsets, then
Some balance bright
And rich in time.

A million waits the journey,
A million steps –
On ways not circled round
By maplines kept.
Still, on – 

Though moving not.
Only sun or star,
Face of moon or face
Of stranger; these ones are

The migrant ones

Who gift our timewards press
With side paths rich.

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There’s a picture online of a cat sitting upright on the sidewalk. The cat is illuminated by a perfectly golden shaft of sunlight. 

The caption: “If gaming has taught me anything, I know a side quest when I see one.” 

Of course, side quests usually aren’t lit up like a burning bush. And the notorious trade-off of the side quest is time and attention from one’s main goal. But sometimes the benefits are worth it. 

Sometimes, just knowing there are other routes enriches the main route.

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