Surrounded by bright eyes
and open minds
and the spirit of adventure
the guide sets forth
to forge a path for their conquest
and expand their world
bringing it closer
Feasting on their curiosity
the guide weaves a tale
of ancient mystery, of soothsayers
and philosophers; the place becomes
no longer a name on a pamphlet but
a person to be fondly remembered
Once dusty streets, with their brown
sidewalks, and tired people, heat
threatening to kill fervor, yet the guide
points to a mundane misshapen rock
and narrates the battles it has been in
and the people it has fought, and
the lives lost because of its actions;
cool words refresh the face of
the fellow travellers
and vigour is restored
The guide delights in that
sense of wonder, of
inviting guests, and foreign minds,
to partake in his childhood, in
the place called home; enriching
their lives, in their brief time here
with the riches of his country.