Loss, Loss, Loss. . .

 The Mountain and Me

our annual LeConte hike is much of who I am,
who I have been,
who I still am in my soul:
the hard pull up the great mountain,
the magic of wood and view on top,
the descent back down the mountain
back into normality,
all morphed in my dreams
that work to understand it all,
fears and possibilities all jumbled together,
as if who I inextricably am  is on and around
this fourth highest peak east of the Rockies,
and around which I have never grown up,

I can still probably handle the hike up
though too much heat can wither that hope,
the hike down the last few years has scared me,
as the heat and tiredness has made me all stumbly,

in my dreams I still find a way to be up on top of Walisiyi,
savoring the glory, overcoming the obstacles,

my heart will never leave the top of the mountain,
though my body will probably never be there again.

by Henry Walker
6/21/24