Man's Need

Some men need
to climb a mountain
and stand at the peak
in the face of the sun
to feel complete.
I only need to follow
a gentle inhalation
up the sparkling slope
of my body
from belly to crown,
to stand at the peak
in the face the sun
and surrender.
I would rather be
a servant of this breath
than a master of the mountain.

Photo of Mt. Rainier, taken from a hill near my home