A Snowy Foot-printed Path

I crossed this snowy foot-printed path

and I followed along for a ways.
I’ve seen a few trails and tales of grails
so I thought that one of these days
I’d follow the scent just see where they went
and to fend off my certain malaise.

They leapt and skipped and galloped and still

I scampered along with an icy thrill,
when at once they ceased with a swirl in the snow.
What destiny fell them, I’ll never know.
I conceived a great leap to foil a hawk
a hidden burrow
a sheltering rock--

Still now and then when we walk that way
I pause at the spot and remember the day
When that prescient malaise began fading away