wilderness stargate

beauty of nature incites metaphysical spiritual thoughts, we climb mountains for other reasons other that they are there

We - me and i trudged from base uphill at 10,000 feet

switch backing minimizing sharp15 percent grades
increasing pair, one heavy the other light
gravity an’ thin air

lungs burning fire on the center of my chest
my sputtering heaving gasps tear 

my stinging nostrils, like parchment at 11,000

upward slant grasping for air holds

against the mass of gravity’s backpack boots and body

the emerald blue sky is my anchor, my lift
in mineral king’s mountain folds

800 feet unbroken incline mellows out, 

chest's bellows less, due more horizontal stretch meandering turnpikes, dizzying thin air altitude
shrubs rolling out threshold to alpine trees
deep gorge rocky banks idyllic hike
a fatal fall’s slip of the foot and 200 feet of instant death
to silver stream jagged below 
trail ends at base of taller still, magnificent mountain
covered in gold velvet rock protrusions, embedded
crossing stream ’neath our feet 

small headwater runs slow
headed to box canyon past cathedral granite bowls 
whose towering 12,000 feet in sunlit snowy banks 
create shadow nestled at their northern base, 

a waiting cradle preparing for

winter’s newborn falling snow
mosses downy, cushiony steps of green sponge 
trekking ’long meandering silent serpentine creek
northeasterly invisible arrow of travel, pristine pulse
living things, alpine flora, scattered birds flitting speak
searching winter’s september scarce bounty 
of seed and sleeping bugs’ prey for hungry beaks
late autumn sun, bright as summer transposed on cold
clean reality so far away 

so tranquilizing from raucous noise
of technical livings’ existence, 
far distant land of electron 

and machinery’s magnetic fields
pulsating fix on mere existence that never sleeps 
due distraction’s onslaught 

most times humans transfixed unawares asleep
deeper gorge lies ahead, wild gooseberries 

dried hanging for me
westward turning point, follow the slope

yields for me its sobering silence 

of noise detoxification at her every turn of incline 

and slight declines
creating a virtual metaphysics realm entrance
porthole, high altitude wormhole,

cybergate escape into stargate
no return, no goin’ back 
to cities of industries’ dull glowing red lights
maybe i’ll fall into that dimension’s maw
maybe a sojourner of like mind will encounter 
the shell of my corpse after some winter’s thaw

Reviews

[patricia]

You transported me to a dreamy place, I was with you all the way. A superb write, with subtle wisdom, and observant eye.
I hope you took a packed lunch!
Enjoyed.