The Pinnacle

The plane rocked in a morning gale and I was knocked awake
But I was still stained by this tip-of-my-tongue kind of feeling, like remnants of my dream
Remained
Instinctively I unslid the window and noticed the clouds kilometers below
But it was to my utter surprise that here up high, we weren't below

The monstrous Himalayas eviscerated the clouds
Forming some sort of red carpet path, cresting the dawn
Requesting me to come hither forward
Though I knew not what hid beyond
And then it hit me- I seethed in its presence
And its echoes swayed the plane with turbulence
Mount Everest beckoned me and from that
Gee, I had to see it before my death

It was the pinnacle of all things
Somewhere down the Lukla trail acclimatization sets in
Enveloping the environment in a hazy sheen
A magic feeling like you're unearthing gems seldom seen
The people live different here, isolated
With the looming presence of the mountain growing stronger

As you mount into the clouds, a lingering tenseness
Of getting closer- louder, unshrouded
More snow, less people, less trees, more shadows
And it's up at 5 AM, hiking pitch-black to track
Downward now, just hoping you'll be going back up soon
Down, down, hands frozen, heart pounding

And then bright pink and orange- the sun
There it stood, strong, thoughtful
Rumbling avalanches in the distance
I saw the pinnacle
It was the pinnacle of all things

And this was definitely somewhere between dream and reality
I looked into your eyes expecting to see my own reflection
Faulted and unsure and wandering
And I even think you saw it in yourself
But instead I saw the top- It was the pinnacle