Hike

Two women hiked toward me
on the trail, water bottles in hand.
As they approached
and then passed me,
the older one in the hat
was saying forcefully
in a clear voice
Well I’ve read that book and I’ve studied
what all the other religious traditions say
about personal growth
and what I’ve found—
at which point I turned my head
hoping to hear what she had found
but then we were too far apart
and her voice was lost on the wind