I Am

By James A. Dereign

I am the whisper of the wind in the top of the oak and the pine.

I am the first curl of smoke of the campfire.

I am the crunch of gravel under a hiking boot.

I am the splash of light on a canoe paddle.

I have walked on the surface of the moon.

I have worked in the oval office.

I have heard the call of the Eagle.

I have breathed life into another’s lungs.

My honor hovers over Arlington and the Tomb.

My courage has been tested in battle, flood, fire, and storm.

My skills are basic and have prepared many for life and service.

My vision is clear and not dimmed by the passage of time.

You can see mo in parents’ pride filled eyes at a court of honor.

You can smell me in a cup of fire-brewed coffee.

You can hear me in the silence of a snow covered forest.

You can feel me, carefully, on the edge of a fresh sharpened ax.

I have been told of your past by my kindred.

I walk and breathe in the present.

I can only dream of your tomorrows.

I am …. the Scouting Spirit …. pass me on.