Robert Hensler - Climbing the Mountain

I hear one day the word “mountain, ”
and I ask someone “what is a mountain?

I have never seen one.”
I join others in discussions of mountains.

One day I see in a book a picture of a mountain.
And I decide I must climb one.

I travel to a place
where there is a mountain.

At the base of the mountain I see
there are lots of paths to climb.

I start on a path that leads
to the top of the mountain.

I see that the higher I climb,
the more the paths join together.

After much climbing the many paths join into one.
I climb till I am almost exhausted
but I force myself and continue to climb.

Finally I reach the top and far above me there are stars.
I look far down and the village twinkles far below.

It would be easy to go back down there
but it is so beautiful up here.
I am just below the stars.

Robert Hensler

http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/climbing-the-mountain/