fear of leaving mother’s side slipped away a little each day

venturing, i became aware there are many things to see and do

i was forever running from playmate to playmate/tree to tree

relationships formed and blossomed/ friends came and went

however, intimate love eluded me

 

sitting on an outcropping of bamboo shoots, i nibble at the sweet new shoots and pondered a mentor’s words: ”true love must first be of self before it can be extended to someone else”

i have played an enjoyed the games of youth/i have exhorted my strength and bellowed at the intrusion of unwanted guests/ i have learned that true power is derived from restraint and self control/ allowing one to substitute kindness and understanding in place of judgment and intolerance

i am a Silverback,  proud to have achieved the coloration that runs down my spine/ through courage, guidance and at times a sheer will to live, i have survived    spry enough to merit respect from everyone in our group/ wise enough to see the beauty of strength through kindness

the younger males and even some of the younger females come to gather shoots around me/ sometimes we talk about life, their issues and what really matters/ about coming into ones’ own/ knowing when to move and when to be very quiet and  listen

as i walk i hear the sounds the air makes as it crawls through the trees

wherever you  are if you hear those sounds add these words ”the Silverback is waiting”