Kelly J Massey
On the Side of the Mountain
Updated: Sep 17, 2020
In the spring when we ascended the mountain,
It was too early for shorts and sandals for the climb
but they had been perfect on the valley floor.
The snow scrunched between our bare toes
and the mud rose to our ankles.
I looked at his tiny frame beside me,
standing proudly as he gazed out over the mountain.
In the world all of six years and yet braver than most
seven and eight times his age.
Adults need a dose of a child’s fearless optimism.
If we were all fearless optimists,
We could be eternally kind in the face
of an uncertain future.
We could remain fearless when we met
each other on the street or on the trail.
When I feel fearful or unkind,
I think back to the snow scrunching in my toes,
the cool wind brushing my cheek as we looked out
over the valley from the side of the mountain and
I think of my son’s face as he looked out on his world.
