Refraction.

Verdant Hills.

Mountains are holding up the skyline,
Verdant hills rolling as far as the eye can see,
Becoming one with the horizon.
I remember how it felt to stand up there -
Hours were spent in pursuit of the peak,
My rucksack was heavy, but it wouldn't stop me.
Nothing could stop me when I had my first
Taste of freedom; I was young, and once I reached the peak,
The world was quite literally at my feet.
I didn't realise that I'd be dragged back down,
And suddenly I was looking upwards again.
I longed to return, but somehow now - as I stand
At the foot of the mountain -
I'm not sure that I can get back to where I was,
Nor am I sure that I deserve to be serenaded by the
Majestic birds of prey; tickled by the breeze;
Besotted with the view of the path that I climbed.
My rucksack is so much heavier this time,
But I still have friends by my side, and they want me
To reach the top.
I am just as in awe of them as the mountains -
They know I cannot breathe as the air becomes thinner,
And yet they wait patiently until I'm able to carry on.
They don't even complain when I take three steps backward
Just to move one forward.
We walk together up these verdant hills,
All believing that one another deserves to reach the summit
But sometimes second-guessing ourselves.
I suppose that is why we need one another;
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder,
And the things for which I dislike myself
Are looked upon fondly by others.
We will grow to understand - to love - each other better
As we climb together,
But somehow we are also bonding with ourselves.