Colorado Ascent

Sky-bound ridges beckon,
drawing the Earth into sharp relief,
each peak a timeless mystery etched in stone.
 
Granite boulders pierce the clouds,
their solemn silence roaring like thunder,
their immensity carved by the breath of time.
 
Pine forests unfurl, rooted deep,
while alpine lakes reflect the heavens
with clarity unsurpassed.
 
Faintly gleaming in forgotten veins,
gold murmurs of a bygone frenzy,
yet the mountains endure,
unyielding to the grasp of greed.
 
This is the land of rising—
where the damp soil breathes renewal
and birdsong arcs toward open skies;
where rivers leap from cliffs,
their spray soaring toward light.
 
As you climb, the trails coil upward,
the air thins to whispers,
each breath a praise to the heights,
each view a call to reach beyond.
Colorado—where the mountains stretch skyward,
and our spirits follow, ever rising.

By Steven Wade Veatch

First published in Colorado Life May/June 2025