Despite the bellow of loved ones,
you've chosen to go it alone.
Thus far you've immunity to folly and mishap.
Now you're long overdue but nobody knows
you've left no itinerary nor coordinates
There'll be no search and rescue
upon that avalanche of arrogance.
The pickaxe has slipped from your hand
sliding into the sweet blackness.
Days layer upon a twist of broken bones
Blue ice licks its own thickness into a groan.
You've reached the black pinnacle of the purist alone.
Under a robin's egg sky
on the throat of icy cliffs
The alpinists ascend
a blizzard of sorrow and bliss.
Sowing a string of prayer flags
into the white heart soil of spirit pass.
Categories:
alpinists, adventure, anxiety,
Form: Free verse
This mountain of tall firs and pines
overlooks a placid valley with a hut,
meadows of wild flowers intrigue.
Hikers go upward meeting clouds,
their adventure is kind of unique.
Bell-shaped trumpet gentians spout--
rain on the pretty flowers of the Alps.
No mountain in this region is gaudier
than the unfolding new discoveries...
boulders and cliffs with sparkling dew.
Alpinists adore mounts that are greener,
they snap lots of pictures, not a few;
below, sheep graze in open grasslands--
they shiver when the breeze gets colder.
Away from sunless and urban settings,
one feels free doing the extraordinary;
breathing an air not spoiled by smog.
Alpinists have lived here for many ages,
tending their herds watched by a dog.
The blinding sunrise ascends gleefully--
joy overwhelms the heart that dreams.
Calm valleys with wooden huts, amid mounts,
are prone to avalanches with a rapid force;
violent storms can deform the luscious green.
Locals are afraid, they pray holding hands;
strong faith may avert what could have been.
It's twilight, flowers droop looking morose;
brightness fades--an evening of sad sounds.
Categories:
alpinists, adventure, mountains, nature, people,
Form: Rhyme
Wondrous sky, at the beginning of January,
manifests itself with colorful lights
above the swiftly flowing snows;
it's a spectacle revealing rare glows,
but also fear as rumbling sounds
awaken the Alpinists that were snoring away.
Escape is the only thought to avoid being buried alive,
and should they choose to stay inside,
the avalanche's force will destroy everything
in its path...they must flee without taking anything.
An alarming voice rises from a tent lit by a flashlight,
" Grab your backpacks and move quickly,
we have little time, avalanches are so deadly! "
he ordered while the horses roared at the scary sight,
" We'll make it to safety, don't frighten and look away...
courage will prevent us from being the statistics of the day!"
Copyright ( c ) 2015 by Andrew Crisci
Categories:
alpinists, beauty, faith, horror, light,
Form: Rhyme
A Dalmatian is a dog on a mission
to save lives when Alpinists are lost,
or even worse are buried underneath
an avalanche that carried them down the valley.
Hear my bark, I am rushing to find them;
I sniff several times and warn the rescue team
that they are still alive, but not for long.
I may hear voices calling for help,
I quickly run to that spot and start digging with my claws,
hoping that they can breathe a minute longer...
and with my breath I start melting the snow,
making a tunnel for them to get a glimpse of the bright sky;
a frozen hand reaches out to me, his feeble voice is heard,
" I am alive, come and pull me out of this icy hole! "
The helicopter arrives in minutes landing feet away;
joyful commotion fills the hearts of the rescuers,
" Hold on, young man...you'll be okay! "
When the pale boy, barely eighteen, is pulled up,
he broadly smiles and pats me on the head;
I bark back to show my happiness,
being proud that the mission was achieved without a loss.
July 10, 2012
Categories:
alpinists, animals, caregiving, friendship, happiness,
Form: Narrative
Across the Swiss and Austrian Alps
brutal gusts steadly blow,
calling for heavy snowflakes
dancing as lost butterflies...
falling as summer's lonely stars.
Ginger bread smells good,
honey in tea is superb;
I inhale the steamy swirls that
jackrabbits love to smell.
Kaffe Klatsch is strong
lurching through their nostrils,
making them too hyper.
Northern Italy's wooden shacks
over the wide, frigid vallies...
point to a warmer South
quiet only at evening or night.
Roam as deer on snowy slopes,
stunning is the alpine scenery:
trees as tall as redwoods
ululate louder than hungry wolves...
vulnerable to snowdrifts' attacks.
Watch the skiers having fun,
xelophones making music,
yummy polenta being eaten...
zealous alpinists singing.
Categories:
alpinists, adventure, food, happiness, nature,
Form: ABC
Michel-Grabriel Paccard and Jacques Balmat
ascended the dangerous ridges of Mont Blanc...
without ice axes and their firm determination,
to achieve the impossible, nurtured their immense ambition.
Categories:
alpinists, adventure, dedication, devotion, faith,
Form: Narrative