Who would have thought it?
After the initial excitement
The struggles through the rocky foothills
The unexpected twists and turns
The friends who started with us
And were lost on the way
The occasional moments of great joy
And the more frequent moments of weariness
The baggage accrued
The mistakes made in the route
The detours, some necessary, and other wasted
The occasional longing to turn back
And the impossibility of doing so

Who would have thought it?
That after all this
We would emerge at last
Onto this high plateau
From where we can look back
Over the way we came
And lie together in contentment
On the soft turf, smiling
To think that what really mattered
Was that we finished