Mount Mandara
By Alexandra Miller
I begin my treacherous journey peering up the steep rocky cliffs of the majestic Mount Mandara
Excitement courses through my veins as I take my first steps towards the top
The first of many many more to come
I struggle up the winding beaten down paths
Meandering my way over slippery rocky slopes
Grumbling uncomfortably to myself all the while
Each passing anomaly passes over me like water
Each boulder, a summit to begrudgingly conquer
With the final reserves of my energy
I pull myself up onto to the refuge of the plateau,
Completing my long and difficult climb
I am filled with wonder as I look out from my stony perch
My eyes greedily lap up the sights before me:
The vague misty masses looming like gargantuan guardians
Surveying the bountiful valleys below
The various shades greens of the ragged tree-line, as they sway in the wintry breeze
And the clear icy-blue skies above
How peaceful the scene I behold
The crunch of the icy snow beneath my boots
The whoosh of the evergreen tress below
And the symphony of noises made by the creatures that call this mount their home
How insignificant and meager the climb in comparison to the grand spectacle before me!
