The Ascent

by JLR

As I stood at the crest of a majestic mountain top
my gaze cast upon the valley in shadow below
I suddenly saw an eagle rising upon the warm air
which made me feel picayune among these inspiring gifts
of nature's scenes we often just take for granted each day.
What a pity we have become numbed to such as these,

I fear over time I will lose sight of all of these.
Earth is scarred again as man scrapes a mountain top
as the rains cause such erosion, creeks are filled day after day
then too, what will become of the eagle and hawk, below?
My heart aches that many are so ignorant, as not to value these gifts.
It seems, around the globe we are tainting our very air.

Again, as I start my descent, I am in wonder of the fresh air
looking across the valley just grateful to see, in one place, all of these.
The rolling mountains, never ending, birds soaring and many more gifts.
I want to shout and hear my echo's refrain from fertile mountain top.
Light rain begins to fall, as mist rises from up from below.
And we must harken the call, protect this gift each and every day!

I walk down to the valley floor to rest overnight and begin a new day.
As the moon rose and the breeze picked up, I felt a chill in the air.
I climbed into my mummy bag with tent overhead I hunkered below.
Falling into blissful slumber I dreamt of outings like these.
As the night eased on into a new dawn, I peeked at the mountain top.
To begin a new day, with a fresh set of legs, the sun, the warmth; all gifts!

Amazed that I am as old as I and still get to experience these gifts.
Hiking the trail Mother nature has made for me to enjoy this day
as I traverse along paths narrow and wide climbing to the top.
To finally reach the top of my ascent and feel the cool mountain air
such are the awesome sights and sounds and I am pleased to share these
with mates coming from below.

With mist rising from below,
a break from the glaring sun and a gentle breeze are gifts.
What more could or should one expect that would top these
events that unfold to display any Mother's Natures better day.
As each of us have come at last, in our bond, to breathe in the air,
climbing the pinnacle, the top!

Below, at last we have arrived at the end of another day
The gifts Mother Nature showed us stirred the very air!
Days such as these will never be forgotten,
each experience over the top!

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The sestina is a strict ordered form of poetry, dating back to twelfth century French troubadours. It consists of six six-line (sestets) stanzas followed by a three-line envoy. Rather than use a rhyme scheme, the six ending words of the first stanza are repeated as the ending words of the other five stanzas in a set pattern. The envoy uses two of the ending words per line, again in a set pattern.

First stanza, ..1 ..2 ..3 ..4 ..5 ..6
Second stanza, ..6 ..1 ..5 .. 2 ..4 ..3
Third stanza, ..3 ..6 ..4 ..1 ..2 ..5
Fourth stanza, ..5 ..3 ..2 ..6 ..1 ..4
Fifth stanza, ..4 ..5 ..1 ..3 ..6 ..2
Sixth stanza, ..2 ..4 ..6 ..5 ..3 ..1

Concluding tercet:
middle of first line ..2, end of first line ..5
middle of second line ..4, end of second line..3
middle if third line ..6, end of third line ..1

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A Sestina about climbing and nature

The Ascent

by JLR

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