After the Before Sun pouring like liquid gold trickles across the profiles of fourteen eager faces New opportunities lie upon their horizons Many days of travel await Sunrises and sunsets Rain and beating sun Wind threatening to steal tents away in the night Sandstorms, thunderstorms, snowstorms Streams flowing pure in the middle of a desert Sleeping under the moon and stars Talks of life and freezing cold feet Sleepless nights and layover days Emotions, too many to count, cascading through them Hard work, tears, laughter, anger, happiness, love, sadness, remorse, exhaustion, disappointment, awe, hope, homesickness, joy A newfound love for the world they walk through A newfound respect for those around them A newfound purpose in their lives A sense of place If even for a fraction of time They don’t know what to expect Each coming with a preconceived notion about life and the world around them Their earth will shake and everything they thought they knew will shatter Bits and broken pieces of what they thought was true will lay on the arid desert ground
28 | THE LEADER
