Thursday, January 21, 2016

Yes, they replied, 'because it is there!'

                                                                                    Attribution: Hillebrand Steve
Image: Rugged mountain top (here)

The moon had inspired many
With its inherent beauty
No one disputed that with the owl even pining
And no dearth of poets with their writings

But when man landed on the moon
It was rocky, dusty not how it  was earlier shown
The same could be said of mountains
Bluish and greenish in the distance

It was rugged not expected to be overly friendly
Treacherous, hard and cold with deep gullies
Snow-capped that raised challenges to another level
Mountain climbing rightly belong to the dare-devils

Climbers on Everest made a solemn pledge
Upon returning no word to divulge as their privilege
Remains of earlier climbers strewn in the snow
Not to be made known to folks waiting below

When asked 'climbing the mountain was it a dare?'
Yes, they replied, 'because it is there!'

Susan's at PU's Mid-week Motif  -  mountain
Gayle's OLN #164 at d'Verse

18 comments:

  1. question is, should there be a treatise for every dare. certainly your mountain answers not

    much love...

    ReplyDelete
  2. Sometimes what we find in the end sure isn't what we expected.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Excellent! Putting in the rhyme made it seem epic, legendary--and I love the comparison of moon landing and mountain climbing. (I wondered about the climbs as walking through graves ...)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Climbing mountains is a gruelling challenge. The beauty is undeniable, but the climb treacherous. Good one, hank!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Yes, climbers are a special kind of person really! One definitely has to be a daredevil to attempt to climb a mountain.

    ReplyDelete
  6. It is a dare and an adventure for those of heart and courage. Enjoyed it Hank. thanks.

    ReplyDelete
  7. it's always good to be disillusioned and have clarity on life journey & love the end couplet speaking of a wonderful attitude to life...

    ReplyDelete
  8. Indeed.. That conclusion is classic.. but maybe it's all there always.. Beauty is always better watched from a distance. I remember how Jonathan Swift reflected on the skin of a woman comparing Lilliput and Brobdingnag.. that in the closeness of a giant it appeared spotty and ugly whereas the Lilliput people appeared delicate.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Enjoyed this one :D Beautifully penned :D

    ReplyDelete
  10. I like the comparison of moon and mountain here. How often in life that "objects may be much different than they appear." ;)

    ReplyDelete
  11. I too like your comparison between the moon and mountain. Yes, I would say similar in some ways. Many have lost their lives on treacherous mountains but I think they went doing something that they felt passionate about...maybe not such a bad way to go then.

    ReplyDelete
  12. The moon and mountains both I admire from a distance. I think we all climb our own mountains in life but, some are daring enough to take it to the highest level.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Of course, why not, its a challenge by itself ~

    ReplyDelete
  14. SMiLes.. moon..
    mountain tops..
    bottoms of mile
    deep oceans..
    novelty
    to visit..
    but here i
    staycation free..
    and every once
    iN a while.. even
    escape words..
    as words
    can
    be
    Novel too..
    hehE.. wITh wInks..:)

    ReplyDelete
  15. So good. Such a reflection on perspective. Things/reality is so different when seen from a distance. That includes our own past stories.

    ReplyDelete
  16. There are a million ways to meet personal goals. Not all are physically challenging, many are mentally challenging, many are both. Sometimes just staying straight, keeping a job, or being responsible is as big a challenge. But I applaud your poem - it is easily a metaphor for all of human challenges...and the realization that up close the difficulties may not be apparent. Well done.

    ReplyDelete
  17. So true the heights of our world are always a challenge for man and a beauty for the eye to behold. (as is the moon)

    ReplyDelete
  18. This almost reminds me of the skeletons that are often kept in family closets. I just learned of a first cousin...who didn't even know I existed, because his mother never told her children about the family she basically left behind when she married and left...

    Challenges can be mysterious. And perhaps only those who have been there and done that have the right to commiserate about any particular done deed.

    ReplyDelete