I want to go
to the top of that range
of mountains.

I want to look back
at my climb and be
satisfied, if not happy,
that I’ve gotten that far.

I want to look
along the crest
to the north and then the south,
to the mist at either extreme
where the peaks disappear
into distance.

I want to stare with longing
for a good while
at the other side
of the divide.

Above all I want the chance
to stand
upon the divide itself,

and to choose
whether to go
north, south,
back where I came from,
or into that far country
where I’ve never been.