The Summit
When I was thirteen
I climbed my first tree
A willow, in the back of the garden
I fell, but landed
square on my feet
and truly believed I'm okay
And so, I kept climbing
But soon, all the trees
Seemed far too short for me
Did they just shrink?
Or have I outgrown them?
I honestly still cannot tell
I tried climbing rocks
Then cliffs, and then mountains
And each time I fell, I got better
At climbing, and falling
And landing just fine
Or, at least, that's what I though
But one day, I saw her
My life's highest mountain
Her peak softly brushing at clouds
My heart skipped a beat
And I thought to myself,
"This lady, I must make her mine"
And so, I got up
From my favorite old chair
Prepared for the hike of my life
I was twice as old
As when I first started
Believed that I really knew better
But when I began
My life's final ascent
I felt that something wasn't right
And yet, I still tried
I've marched ever onwards
My gaze firmly set on the summit
In that endless folly
I slipped, and I fell
And plummeted straight to the bottom
I tried landing square
But my knees gave in
And shattered, never to recover
And that was the end
Of my climbing career
I sit now, confined and broken
And leer at the summit
Thinking just how foolish
It was, to believe she'd be mine