He is bound to its majesty; a mountain, snow-capped
and covered with dreams of the conquest
of its stately infinity. Climbing ever upward, Excelsior,
an excursion of one nods in respect and kneels
to reflect, a thoughtful genuflect to its superiority,
the majority of which is hidden above the clouds.
The only sound he hears is the silent whisper
of an endless space, a chance to see the face of God.
He is found in the placid serenity near the peak
where the winds speak of the wisdom sequestered there.
© Walter J. Wojtanik – 2016
dVerse Poets Pub – Poetics: Summit in sight
THROUGH THE EYES OF A POET'S HEART 
This is absolutely splendid! Especially adore your opening lines 🙂
I can’t help but read “skyward” as if it’s code for the psych ward … just a floatin’ up there somewhere. 😉
This is by far, my favorite line, Walt: “an excursion of one nods in respect and kneels”
superiority,
the majority of which is
hidden above the clouds.
Most times man’s greatness is not apparent in the first instance. It is true Walt. It takes someone else to talk about it or it just remains in the clouds, ” the silent whisper of an endless space!” Great lines!
Hank
Love this part: a chance to see the face of God.
There is serenity and wisdom to be found in the mountains
Surely God can be found at the mountain top. Your poem is spiritually uplifting.
This mountain evokes noble thoughts…and rich vocabulary! How apt to name the solitary (but not alone) climber “Excelsior”. Thanks for participating, Walt.
This breathes of truth and peace…so beautiful, Walt. :)’s
I love “the excursion of one nods in respect and kneels to reflect…” This is a beautiful and humble gesture to the mountain and all he represents. Wonderful, Walt.
I can think of no better place to see the face of God! Sounds beautiful. I guess God thought so too; Mt. of Transfiguration, Mt. Sinai, etc.
Very thoughtful. I had to look up “Excelsior” and “genuflect.” They fit perfectly! Now I need a reason to use them myself…
Well SG, I live in New York State. The state motto is “Excelsior!” – every upward. So it just seemed to fit perfectly here! Thanks for stopping by.
Sequestered wisdom, like wine and cheese, should be aged. Your journey was an inspiring one, I returned richer for imagining the endless space.
I enjoy the meditativeness of this, Walt. I do think sometimes looking to the peaks helps us see the face of God! He is in the placid serenity…just a bit higher than we are!
This reminds me of the story of Elijah (I think in Kings) where he hears the voice of God in the tiny whisper of a breeze. Just wonderful writing, Walt.
I spend a lot of time in the Cascades & Olympics here in W. WA, & I swear high up in the mountains where the clouds swirl around your face & feet, I keep hearing angelic choirs or religious chanting. Your piece is very inspiring, a perfect reaction to the prompt, Walt. I, too, like the lines /the only sound he hears is the silent whisper/of an endless space/.