PlanetLightworker – August 2007 

UP ON THE MOUNTAIN
I look down and sigh
Remembering the climb
How it all looked so high

But I climbed and I climbed
Quit I would not
Quitters are losers
Quitters get hot

And as they say
If you can't stand the heat
Get out of the kitchen
Go follow old Pete

Pete was a man
Who gave up on the climb
Gave up way too early
Hearing only the chime

The chime of the clock
Going tick tick tick tock
Telling him he's old
Telling him to stop

And so Pete did stop
He did climb no more
Waiting and watching
Like a gull on the shore

Waiting for that
Which the clock said was coming
Death and old age
Senile and humming

And so old Pete waited
Like a man doing time
Started the waiting
While still in his prime

The young ones passed him
During their trek up the hill
Some his age or older
While he swilled down a pill

"Hey old man," they shouted.
"It's never too late,
Your goal is so close
You choose your fate!

"It's never too late
To follow your dreams
To follow your path
As hard as it seems."

But Pete had forgotten
Forgotten how to live
Forgotten how to love
And forgotten how to give

And so he just sat there
Bemoaning his lot
Choosing to give up
Choosing to say "I have not

"Have not the courage
And have not the strength
Have not the desire
And have not the length

"Have not the length
Of time that it takes
To climb and to dream
And swim the Great Lakes"

"So I'd rather give up now
Than say that I failed
I'd rather give up
And say that I bailed

"From a life that to me
Was too hard and too high
A life that for me
Was one long big lie

"I did work that I hated
I wore clothes that were tight
I had friends who didn't like me
And try as I might

"I couldn't break free
From the shackles I chose
So I just sat down
And lost my will I suppose

"They say to keep going
'It's never too late'
Maybe it's not
Maybe it's fate

"Maybe those people
Who passed me today
Maybe they were meant to show me
Show me the way

"I could I guess
Find me some rope
Find me one last shred
Of faith and of hope

"I am really so tired
But I think I'll take the hand
Of the next person who passes
And offers to help me stand

"One foot in front of the other
One day at a time
Maybe I can do this
Yes just maybe I'll be fine."

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