Climb On

To tame my own fear,

 One that we all possess.

I have not a death wish

But of life I obsess

 

The fear of failure

And I fear of death

To let go and hang on

Both in the same breath

 

My knees mimic the movements

Of a sewing machine

In a blink of an eye

I revisit the places I’ve been

 

The prayers of family

And the laughter of friends

I will tell of adventures

And daring ascents

 

The stone is my lover

Whose breast I embrace

She loves me, she hurts me

As was the case

 

She will never betray me

Of this I am sure

While I rest at the walls top

I finally feel pure

 

Reviews

[Carole]

To tame my own fear,

One that we all possess.

I have not a death wish

But of life I obsess



The fear of failure

And I fear of death

To let go and hang on

Both in the same breath

These words caught me here. So many struggle with the fear of failure and of course the fear of death is the root of all fear. Have experienced it all so I relate. I don't fear death any more but every now and then the fear of failure can creep in.

I also like how you mentioned obsessing about LIFE. That's me. I have experienced enough of the other to choke a horse. Well done!

[Mistral Bilgera]

i absolutely like the rhyming, very melodic. a very inspiring poem, not only for climbers, but for those who go on with life.

there is a little bit of everything in this poem: sensuality (as what Lilain said in stanza 5), imagery (stanza 3), optimistic passion (stanza 1 and 4), tension (stanza 2) and rewarding resolution (last stanza), making the bigger picture of a lovely poem. :)

i adore this piece! :)

[lilain]

A poem for us climbers - I love it. So many people ask me how and why I climb, but it is impossible to put into words. You've done an excellent job of capturing the much needed explanation in poetic verse. Splendid job.

Oh, and I love this:
"The stone is my lover
Whose breast I embrace
She loves me, she hurts me
As was the case"

Sensual and so beautiful.

[Cliff Rhodes]

Hey Mr. Lopez,
I know I saw you climbing El Capitan or Half Dome out in Yosemite National Park in 1980, or maybe not.
I lived there for about a year but only made it half way up Half Dome because you could walk and didn't have to climb and WHEW!! That was enough height for me. I just like to walk the trails and not climb.

"The fear of failure
And I fear of death
To let go and hang on
Both in the same breath"

This is a nice one. Nice rhythm and meaning.
Cliff

[The Tao of Bri]

It is aclimb indeed and so great to know you will never be betrayed even when things look their darkest.. You have got some fluid emotins rolling here! Awesome!

[Kitty]

oh I love this! I always wondered why people liked to climb mountans....As I've gotten older and walked in this life, I understand how this is our nature, to climb, to tread, to conquer and get the top...
This was a beautful explanation to why you do what you do, and it reveals the true you.
I have seen your pictures and seen some of the places you have climbed....
I personally was a runner in a my younger years, and I'm looking to start up again soon, some friends have asked me, why I do it, and all I can say is that it clears my mind and I love it! :)

Much love,
Melba <

[Angel Bird]

Searching for ones own limits - for the borders of the soul.
In search of the true self!
Great write!
The rythm and rhyming is wonderful, and the way you build
the story is fantastic.
Thumb up! Good job!

[EvesDaughter]

your rhyme is flawless and the tale
you weave...beautiful. I adore your
poetry, my new friend. What a lovely
message you have portrayed here.

[Angelic Darkness]

I really liked this poem. It reminded me of my personal struggles.