Risking it all
in the earthbound sky

Her summit was calling,
the weather defies

An avalanche beckoned,
one Sherpa was lost

A trek through the death zone,
another one gone

The temperature dropping,
the oxygen sparse

My crampons now heavy
and feeling much worse

To retreat or push on,
the danger the same

All hail Sagarmatha
—still calling my name

(Memories Of Nepal: March, 2021)