Poem #149 of 365

There's a foot traffic jam
on Everest today, because
summer climbing season
starts in May, and the
life-risking pedestrians
from all over the world
show up for an extreme
vertical hike.

I am younger than the eldest to
accomplish this summit, as I am
also older than the youngest to
reach the same.

If I climbed it myself, what would
be my claim to fame?

The first left-handed, bilingual Tejana poet with scoliosis?
The first Buddhist Texan with a college education?
The shortest adult female from Fort Worth?

I dunno, but I feel myself drawn
to this highest of heights
and start budgeting in
my head for the gear and the fees.
One day I may again find myself
in the kingdom of that
magical mountain,
Everest, Sagarmatha.

Once more, I will sip the hot
lemon drink, once more get lost
in the evening fog, once again
fall in love with the sherpas,
and weep at the sight of the sites.

I wanna get high, at least a little bit high,
in the mountains again.


(Missing Nepal and giving kudos to Samantha Larson, who at just 18 years of age recently became the youngest American to reach the summit of Mt. Everest)

copyright 2007 tammy melody gomez