April 20

You have nicked me more than once
Drawn blood,
But I was careless and so deserving
On better days
We peeled bark from an Aspen stick and roasted
The best meal over an open fire
You were always there
To help
To rescue
To serve when needed
And to stay in reserve
Red, sharp and ready.
You unscrewed corks
Popped tops and opened cans,
And cut, long before the Veg-o-matic.
And until today we traveled
Maine to Colorado
Newfoundland and Mexico
Cracking lobsters, slicing limes
Trimming nails and a thousand more mundane moments
Until today when TSA took you away
From me
For the first time in some forty years.
I lament your loss friend,
For I am now just a bit more alone.