The Valley and the Peak

It is said that in the depths of the valley, one knows himself

Looking up at the mountain peaks around him, he strives to know more

Down in the valley he must think

What could life be like at the top?

In the valley he knows struggle and strife

He is aware of the little details around him

The budding of spring leaves

The blue setting into purple and pink at dusk

The scarcity of food and other resources

So, to change life as he knows it, he begins his ascent up the mountain

Immediately, he encounters difficulty

All he knows is no match for the unknown

He stumbles, falls again and again

But he does not give in

He needs to know what is at the top

With his focus on the mountain’s peak, the valley is beneath him

He slowly forgets who he was

All that seems to matter now is the peak

The peak, the peak, the peak

His head becomes one with the clouds

The horizon stretches out before him

He sees now only peaks, only other mountains to climb

No spring buds does he see

No colors to amaze his mind

For all that matters is the peak

Peak after peak after peak

The man no longer sees himself

Only what he can be

He know longer knows himself

Only what he can learn

The valley remains beneath him

Patiently waiting for him to remember

Inevitably, he shall return from the peak

Where he can know himself once more