Mountain Mirror: Nature’s Citadels

There is another early folding mirror below, and this one starts and ends on the floor under a mountain, with the folding middle line the summit.

The Poem

The top half of the poem is the climb up, the ascent, while the bottom half is the walk down, the descent.

The poem evokes images of mountain peaks, the scenery that makes it all worthwhile, and the feelings of awe and anticipation at arrival and achievement and sorrow afterwards.

Between the two emotions is the peak.

The Structure

Many of the lines feature the same words in each line on both sides, while some lines switch the words around within the line.

An example of the latter is how ‘lime and tan replaced by ebony and ivory’ on the way up the mountain in the first half of the poem is reversed on the way down in the second half of the poem.

Get on your hiking gear, watch your footing, and please enjoy the climb!

Mountain Mirror: Ascent and Descent

On terra firma, gazing to the skies.

Before us,                                                     

a mountain of majesty, standing so proud.

Ascending, the narrow path leaves little room.

Onwards and upwards, we see the valley disappear below,

lime and tan replaced by ebony and ivory.

Through clouds, ice and snow we climb.

As it steepens, sheer cliffs we navigate;

the peak is within a stone’s throw.

 On the summit; freezing but ecstatic, on top of the world.

 We leave the peak with reluctant hearts;

with careful steps, sheer cliffs we navigate.

Through clouds, ice and snow we climb;

ebony and ivory replaced by lime and tan.

Onwards and downwards, we see the summit disappear above,

Descending, the narrow path leaves little room.

A mountain of majesty, standing so proud, 

Behind us.

On terra-firma, gazing to the skies.