He arrived from a distant land
Where homes were made of snow
Seeking a breadth of experience
In the valley far below

Trudging down the slope
For all of three long weeks
He wept most every morning
As the sun rose o'er the peaks

An old life left behind
A new life just ahead
He wanted to turn back home
But kept on the path instead

A thousand drifting thoughts
He caught and left on the way
Along with the extra coats
Leaving each, every day

So, when he arrived in the valley
Lighter of clothe and of mind
He'd left all he was on the mountain
Journeyed straight through the divine

Now, he walks through the towns every evening
Helping lost souls when he can
Sometimes mistook for an angel
Though by his own words, he's a man

He never discusses religion
Though acquainted with beings, divine
He believes it best for each journeyer
To seek and discover each sign

He's walked every night for millennia
And finally, it's time to depart
Carrying the burdens of millions
Mountains await his worn heart

The trek to his home will be harsh
As each step enlarges his peace
He knows that the peaks hold the secret
That home is the place of release

Dark times in humanity's valley
Will linger until his return
A few hundred decades of sorrows
Whose reason no man can discern

But this is the way it must be
As even a Buddha needs rest
Let's pray that his time will return
And for strength to walk on through this test