Author Information
Everest.
I have reached the top of my Everest.
I have just turned fifty.
It is twelve minutes past twelve midnight
on the twenty-eighth
I sit in my chair in the coldness
of the room alone, dumbstruck.
I go down down down in to my
deep deep deep depression.
This is my plateau,
from now on it is down
slowly but surely to the
bottom from whence I came.
Nothing will ever be the same,
all effort to reach the top is done.
I sit in my old leather base camp chair and sigh.
It has been a long hard struggle
and it feels it.
I stare at my paunch
through glasses,
and feel a touch of cramp
in my left calf.
This is it.
I feel no euphoria at all,
my back pack has packed in.
From now on i must be careful
for the descent will be difficult,
but hopefully long.
It will take effort,
more effort than i feel i have.
I sit and look and think.
So this is the top,
in away i feel disappointment
but then i was never going to be the first.
My flag is lost amongst millions,
never truly recgonised
and unsteady in its first unfurling.
The top is finally bagged,
what a tick off.
Better than any Munroe?
I think not, a Munroe is sweet,
a fun but hard day out,
but Your Everest.
I just hope my equipment lasts,
doesn"t let me down.
Base camp is getting chillier, time for bed.
Oh the thought of the stairs.
I need a bungalow.
