Facing Giants

(a small tribute to Mallory and Irving which is not specific to the way they met their death)

himalayan mountain ridges rise to

a crescendo at dawn's first light

nights navy mantle gently receding

like tide's ebb

bejewelled summit struck by sun's

topaz rays, sky ablaze in shades of

tangerine tones of citrus energy

swished with gun metal grey

sharp stark snow caps conceal

ravines bedevilled with deepest

gaps, icy glaciers glint sequinned

diamond glare

slopes camouflage shrouded

secrets of lost pioneers

those who chose to climb craggy

rock faces in adverse weather

sacrificed in hopeful endeavours

hidden from sight as time passes

smothered by avalanche's cruel 

cold counterpane

dreaded rumble thunder sounds

echoing, leaving men dead, buried

or frozen face down on scree's

harsh hostility

fearless are mountaineers

compelled to conquer the apex

leaving a footprint on life's pinnacle

simply because it's there

Reviews

[S.zaynab.kamoonpury]

Ahh yayy you mentioned the Himalayas, thats motherland mountain to me,. And wow your imagery and vocab is so awesome and impressive and your thoughts for the perished climbers, nice compassionate! Kudos for this lovely wonderful poem and am so glad to have read this.

[Chris Shaw]

Zay Zay, I am so pleased you liked my efforts, paying homage to your motherland mountain and those who have lost their lives attempting the climb. Keep safe my friend.

Chris

[Joseph C Ogbonna]

Anytime I see poems like yours, I always have the feeling of not arriving yet with my own poetry. Are hard copied published poet? Wow! your poems are great.

[Chris Shaw]

Thank you Joseph. I do love writing poetry and work hard on each piece I write. There the motivation ends because although I have been approached by publishers, I haven't gone down that route for a long time. So pleased you have enjoyed my work today. I do read a great deal of poetry, so find that helps with my own writing. Really appreciate your interest.

Chris

[Fran Marie]

Amazing poetry
here Chris..you
paint quite the
scene in vivid detail
and colourful beauty
of the majestic mountains
and those who dare to
take the challenges of
of climbing them to their
highest peak..a task with
many risks involved..

nice work

[Chris Shaw]

Thank you Fran Marie for your encouraging review. So much appreciated. Have a great weekend.

Chris

[Fran Marie]

you re welcome;
have a great weekend
also😊

[Davidgeo]

I'm one of those people. I'm not crazy enough to do it Himalayan style. Everest and the Tibetan Plateau and the like are just, way, way too much for me. But I spend a lot of time in that kind of terrain. I like to deal with the weather, the unpredictable terrain; I like it when it gets dangerous. It makes me feel alive in a way you simply cant pay money for. You have to be able both physically and mentally, you have to have it in you, you have to know what you are doing... you have to, all on your own, rise to the challenge. Very few things in this world are like that. To be competent or die... outside of war trekking the harder parts of nature are the only things that match it.

This poem makes me wanna take a long walk into a hard place without a map.

[Chris Shaw]

Appreciate your thoughts here. Mallory was climbing the steeple of the church where his Dad was a minister at the age of six. As a mother and grandmother, that freaks me out, but as a poet I find it awesome. He showed no fear and died doing what he loved best. Now that is a life well lived, even if it ended early. Another hero of mine is Isambard Kingdom Brunel. His vision was extraordinary, a civil engineer of genius. He died at 53, his achievements off the planet. Thanks for stopping by.

Chris

[Davidgeo]

We share some of the same hero's. George Mallory is something more than special. He was /is the embodiment of human adventure. What he had in him is something almost unmatchable. Brunel is someone I've heard of but never really looked into with the same vigor, thanks for turning me onto him. I come from a family of engineers... and I love dearly engineers of great importance. Life would not be so fine today without them.

[Chris Shaw]

Brunel links Britain and America. Look up SS Great Britain. He was phenomenal, came from a family of engineers. His life story is incredible. Well worth the read, especially if you are interested in engineering. It is said that Brunel built Britain :)

[Davidgeo]

Thanks again for that. I only had a superficial knowledge of Brunel. I'd return the favor but you have to be a fan of either mathematics or warfare, otherwise I'd just be boring you to death.

[wordman]

some lovely imagery you have painted here

[Chris Shaw]

Many tha k yous for stopping by. Most appreciated.

Chris

[wordman]

you`re welcome

[Betty Hermelee]

Stunning descriptions of these majestic mountains. We were fortunate enough to see them as we visited Nepal...of course we did not climb, but flying over them was awe inspiring... and you did an excellent job of bringing that back to life for me...so I thank you for these clear images and well written piece.
yours truly,
B.

[Chris Shaw]

Thank you Betty for a wonderful review. All the best.

Chris

[Lydia Shutter]

The imagery in this one is simply stunning! I could almost see he mountain climbers working their way to the top....just because they can. Nature can give us beauty and nature can give us an avalanche. The trick is to enjoy it all. Lydi**

[Chris Shaw]

Thank you Lydi** for that encouraging review, gratefully received.

Chris

[Fairy Khan]

How beautifully do you write?
I love your writings especially because of the vivid imagery that you paint with your words. Beautiful, but tragic.

[Chris Shaw]

Many thanks for leaving a other review Fairy. You are appreciated.

Chris

[Sami Khalil]

A gorgeous poem full of marvelous imagery ending in a sad tragedy. They tried to conquer the summit but death came too soon. Sometimes heroism has a steep price to pay.

[Chris Shaw]

Thank you Sami. They paid a heavy price for their dream. Pleased you stopped by. All good wishes.read moreThank you Sami. They paid a heavy price for their dream. Pleased you stopped by. All good wishes.

Chris

[Sami Khalil]

You are welcome. Write more.

[Chris Shaw]

Ha ha, that old gliche, read more surfacing again. Seems so rude Sami. Wish that could be corrected:)

[Sami Khalil]

Hehehe! No worries.

[undisclosed]

Hi Chris,
Sorry i have been absent for so long.
This is beautiful.
I hope you are well,
Ruby

[Chris Shaw]

Thank you so much Ruby. So pleased you stopped on by. Take care.

Chris