Her hands, knarled like the roots of an ancient tree
Passed me the cup
It was the best coffee I ever had
Water, dipped from the cold mountain stream
Milk, still warm, from the cow
The cow that hobbled its way
Up that same steep and rocky mountain path
That we had just climbed
The cow, with its knobby knees
Green
From kneeling on the steep mountain meadow
Quiet now
Chewing her cud
Eyes closed to the panorama
Surrounding her pasture

Heidi
I have found her
Our childhood storybook friend
Here, high on the Alp
Alone with her animals
Her pigs squirm in the mud, then sprawl on the concrete
By her door
Hens scatter over the rocks
Laying their eggs in secret holes
Her dog, sits in the sun
Eyes squinting, fighting sleep
Cats, rubbing furiously against her thin legs
Moritz
They all have this name
Easier to find them all at mealtime
One call and they're all home
She says

Heidi
Her back is bent
Like the broken branch of that same ancient tree
Bending first forward, then backward.
Tied with a rope
Her pants,
Worn and loose
To fit a large man's frame
Her hair
Tied back under a red kerchief

Her eyes,
Brighter than the skies
Twinkle
She hugs me like a best woman friend
We exchange words
In my best Swiss dialect
Her laughter breaks the solitude
Of the mountain air
I have found her
Heidi
Of the mountain
Heidi
My childhood storybook friend