The peak seemed so far away When I glanced upwards towards the canopy Reliving every step of this journey That has taken me so far from where I began As the clouds inched closer I could feel a shift Within the paradigm that comes with altitude A palpable change in the way I saw the world Now at 2000 feet above the sea Far removed from whence my home sits I pondered the reason for my steps And the meaning behind the climb Maybe it is so I could be as a king Sitting atop the world and looking down To the valleys that define the struggles of life Or perhaps I am running in slow motion Trying to outpace the memories that haunt my vision In an attempt to regain a breath of the freedom That responsibility had so hastily stolen Without my consent But as I marched the distance became inconsequential As the birds chirped a peaceful melody I began to hear the song of nature And within my minds eye Halfway up this mountain I reached the top of my soul