Just a little farther
The words feel like a lie
It was just a little farther
Hours ago, miles back
Lungs and muscles burn
From the inside out
Like acid boiling up
From my core
One more step
I lie to myself
Just a little farther
Trudging forward, bent
Leaning into the incline
Up, Up, Upwards
Tired and beaten
To the unknown beyond
Focusing forward
Staring down
One foot in front of the other
Just a little farther
Across the gray bedrock
Spiderweb lines of black
Rust spots, Brown patches
Faded lichen and dried moss
There was green below
Behind, past tense
Back where I’d begun
Before the climb
Before the ascent
Just a little farther
My mind scoffs
As my lungs heave
No green, No before
There has only, always
Been the climb
The dark, dim grays
Of rock and sorrow
The sparkling black
Of loss and pain
Just a little farther
My guide coaxes
It’s a beautiful view
This way, This way
His excitement
Pulls my feet forward
Draws my thoughts
Out of the darkness
Back into the light
To the promise ahead
Just a little farther
A small, white flower
Appears beneath my gaze
Rising, Rebellious
It’s thin, green stem
Pushing bravely up
Through a crack
Its face stretched
Heavenward
Faithful as a child
Just a little farther
It says to me
I persevered
If I can, You can
The wind caresses me
Urging me forward
An eagle calls
Somewhere above
Encouraging me on
It pulls my gaze up
Just a little farther
The horizon opens wide
Embracing me in arms of blue
One more step, One last step
The world falls away
And I
I stand in awe
Of what lies before me
Filled with promise, Filled with hope
I gaze over the edge
To the canyon below
The silver river
Snaking through a green valley
Vibrant and teeming with life
The sunlight dances around me
A bright celebration
Of my arrival, of my journey
Turning, looking back
The sunlight plays
Across the hard-packed earth
Softening colors I thought
Just drab and dismal stone
The stone glitters
With jeweled sparks
The white flower
I thought solitary
Secluded and alone
Merely the gatekeeper
As her fellows bow all round
A welcoming rainbow
Before they catch the wind
And join the dance
The journey behind
Was more beautiful
Than I realized while climbing
Had only I looked, Paid attention
And the journey ahead
Far more spectacular
Than I have imagined
I told you, my guide grins
The climb is worth it.
About the Creator
Mary K Brackett
Mary Brackett is a novelist, poet, & award-winning short story author. She has authored and co-authored articles for magazines with her husband and is currently writing a series of novels with her talented daughters.
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