Up And Over Or The Long Way Around? Poem by Terence George Craddock

the problem with a rockslide is loose
underfoot rocks ready to slide out
with a single miscalculated footstep

this problem is severely compounded
when an almost vertical drop waits
hungry into swift running river below

I once walked across a fresh rockslide
getting far too close to a vertical drop
just leaned into the hillside and made

good wide deep footstep bases first
before each measured precise step
too far to go around dangerous to climb

above up into loose rotten rock cracked
ready to fall away at a fingernail tickle
or loose scree dust in six inches dirt deep?

of course heavy hiking pack comes off first
blaze a trail clear across threatening rockslide
safely resumed old trail is other side reached

many trips made mule lugging entire party packs
across loose threatening fresh steep rockslide
before rest of party fearfall will onto scree step


Copyright © Terence George Craddock