Free Soloing

there is no pity in this implacable face
there is no mercy in the wind’s whistle
there will be no quarter in this battle

to test his mettle he enters the lists
steps into the ring and raises his fists
cagematch to the death, one on one
striving to rise as high as the sun
braving it all, bare knuckled brawl
daring to fall, the luck of the draw
shadows call makes him look small

in one corner stands the skeleton of the world
salient spires pierce from the earth, fierce pain
broken femurs protruding raw. the champ
with a winning streak longer than he is high
and in the other corner is the challenger
an upstart who thinks, dares, to surmount
this ape seeks to conquer time, to place
his mark as high as he can reach
stone smirks silently, confident

to tell the tale he scales the shale
stony whale, flukes and a fluted tail
he rides the great grey humpback
over a switchback, carrying no pack
just lungs full and tendons taut
muscles strain without a thought
mindless journey into naught

man meets mountain, it’s merely madness
to crack the cumulus citadel is the quest
Olympian castle wreathed in clouds
Promethean scale and upward bound
in the ascent he seeks a sense
of worth unknown on the earth
rising higher rarely glimpsed heights
rarefied air and starlit nights
breathe champagne bathe in light
in the struggle he forgets to worry
lost in the journey, falling up
sleeps like just another rock