The following is a transcript from the video, I Will Tell My Son, by Kody Kohlman and Martin Brodsky.
i will tell my son how we climbed mountains:
how we woke before dawn
our breath pushing steam into the morning
those jagged peaks rising into the last of the stars
like an inkwell spilt across the sky
they called to us
those mountains
from above like the gods
tempting us to join them in the holy heavens
we began walking in the dark
a path lit by our lamps
a glowing moon
the ambient light off a city in the plains
just enough to see our footsteps
but of little else that lie ahead
the musk of old pines hung in the air
the trees surrounded us
standing watch
like guards on the late night shift
eyeing everyone that passed
we climbed higher
tacking across boulder fields
from rock to rock
pressing on
up and up and up
then dawn arrived
casting gentle light on the alpine world
pushing the stars back into the universe
the sun warmed our bones
giving strength to our tired bodies
until we laid first eyes on the summit
the trail became steep
we grabbed the stone with our callused hands
hauled ourselves deeper into the thinning air
ever higher
ever closer
waiting for a clear path
for the last push to arrive
we counted the steps
we counted the breaths
what would it take to get there?
the drama buzzed on our tongues
did we make it?
it doesn’t matter
not everyone makes it
not everyone makes it back, either
what mattered was the try
the push to leave comfort behind
a life made whole
by long days under the sun
and late nights around the fire
and knowing that some things
are bigger than we will ever be
i will tell my son how we climbed mountains
he will climb mountains, too
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