Poem: Pathways — for Vicki Crader Michael

The best ones are found in out-of-the-way places, off the beaten track.

Find one and walk it

in the fall of the year,

when the leaves rustle

and crunch under your feet, when the trees are awash

in color.

Adventure awaits.

Follow the path to an old house, where an elderly woman

will invite you inside for tea, tell you the story of her life.

There’s no end to the stories pathways lead to.

Robert Hamblin is an emeritus professor of English at Southeast Missouri State University, where he taught for 50 years and served as the founding director of the school's Center for Faulkner Studies. He is the author or editor of nearly 60 books, including poetry, fiction, literary criticism, biographies and memoirs.