A wanderer moves through life without a chart or map. He cannot explain where he came from, yet the path behind him seems lit with flame, as if crossing into this world left it glowing. He does not know the way forward either, so he trusts the winds and the rising April sap—the pull of spring, growth, and instinct. The mood is calm and wondering rather than lost or afraid. There is no panic in his ignorance; instead, he seems carried by forces larger than himself. The closing lines add a quiet, almost playful confidence: he has carried a secret on his brow without ever knowing it, and now, as darkness stands at his door, he laughs away the mystery. The poem suggests a faith that does not need to understand, moving gently toward death or the unknown with trust and even humor.
Sandy Star: The Way — Summary
He could not tell the way he came, Because his chart was lost: Yet all his way was paved with flame From the bourne he crossed.
He did not know the way to go, Because he had no map: He followed where the winds blow,-- And the April sap.
He never knew upon his brow The secret that he bore,-- And laughs away the mystery now The dark's at his door.