I hobble precariously
to balance myself with this cane
nobody actually ever told me
how to use it...
or at least...
i wasn't listening if they did

i'm an old man
and it's just
...not as easy
as it used to be
but i'm still here
and i'm still trying
and i'm still looking up
at the peak of
this jagged mountain
that i stand upon
i can see it
rather clearly now
even with my eyes

and i see people
up there
and snow...
and people playing
in the snow
snowmen...snowballs
sleds...skis...snowboards
looks like fun
all that stuff up there
and actually being able
to enjoy that stuff
when you have the
smug satisfaction
of knowing that
you finally made it
at long last
to the top

i'm not quite there yet
i still have many many
rocks to trip upon
and strong gusts
of cold wind...
determined to knock
me down
to way back
where i started
or maybe even further
heh...but they
don't know me...do they?
i'm a fiesty old coot
who knows what
he wants
and who has no qualms
about smacking some folks
who would like to see me fall
out of the way to get it

no...don't count me out
at all, no sir...
cause i can see the
flakes from here
and sometimes i
catch a few of
the small ones
on my tongue
and they are cold
and so sweet
and refreshing
snow cones from heaven
promising me better days yes
better days just ahead
as long as i keep
the will to climb

my neck hurts
from looking up there
sometimes
and digging
the tip of my cane
into the hard rock
of the mountaintop
can be a bit frightening
and when i look around
and i see the big sky
all around me
and the open space
below me
all that open space
so with so much room
to catch my fall
it makes me shudder a bit
which is why
i usually choose
only to look up
because up there
the craziness
of this jagged mountain ends
and a cool sweet peace begins
and it'll all make sense then

at least it better!
because i'm not above bitchin!