Perched atop the mountain, he sat, cross-legged and content with his lot in life. It wasn’t the highest peak in the world, not even in the region, yet the feelings of triumph and satisfaction in his heart rivalled those of the conquerors of Everest herself.

A loving breeze caressed his face, flowing through the pine trees around him, like the gentle hushing of a mother calming a newborn baby in her arms. The signature fragrance of summer filled his nose and lungs, the sun-baked pine needles suffusing the air with an almost narcotic quality, inviting him to inhale and exhale deeply, each breath better and deeper than the last. Exotic and songful birds permeated his surroundings with their joyful sounds. Their intricacy and creativity knew no bounds, speaking in a language that only those with peace in their hearts could understand.

He sank into the stones and merged with them. He was at last one with the world around him, feeling connected to every molecule from here to the outer reaches of the universe. Fantastical places, galaxies afar, and alien worlds inhabited his mind as he imagined himself there. He didn’t need to leave his homeworld to visit, for they all existed within him.

He dreamed of distant lands, marvelling at the vastness of creation and the seemingly infinite creativity all around him. Gratitude began to well up inside him, for in this flawed yet perfect existence, he had a chance to play his part. He was working alongside a higher power that he might never comprehend but was always ever-present in his heart.

Gently, as if waking from a pleasant dream, he regained awareness of his physical body and brought his conscious focus back down to earth, thankful for another successful psycho-nautical journey into the sacred depths of his mind. Each time he ventured deeper and discovered another piece of sacred knowledge lost to time. One day he might finally have all the pieces to finish that puzzle, but then again, maybe he wouldn’t. And perhaps acceptance of that fact was the point of the thing—the willingness to not know everything and just to be okay with that. Maybe that was the secret to finding happiness in our lives: acceptance of what is, rather than clinging to the attachment of what we want things to be; comparison is the thief of joy, after all.

He opened all of his eyes and made a note of these new musings in his journal, knowing they often evaporated like dreams upon waking, so he made it a habit to record them for later reflection. Something, someone, whispered to him from deep within to turn around and look towards the east. He obliged the suggestion and then noticed for the first time another, slightly higher, snow-capped peak far off in the distance.

An equal measure of fear and excitement struck him at the realization of this new challenge. But what was there to be afraid of? He’d already conquered this summit, something he never thought he’d be able to achieve, so the next one should be far easier. He packed down the hammock and strapped it to the side of his backpack, checked his compass, and began this new pilgrimage with renewed vigour and determination.

With each step, he felt a sense of purpose and clarity. The journey, he realised, was not just about reaching another peak, but about the experiences along the way. The sights, sounds, and sensations of the mountain path were as rewarding as the summit itself. He moved steadily, feeling the crunch of the earth beneath his boots, the whispers of the wind guiding him forward.

Poetic Catharsis.

Scary as it may be to bare my soul to the world through my poetry, it is most cathartic and genuinely helps me to understand my emotions more deeply. Quite often I’ll have an overwhelming cocktail of feelings that once put to paper, are much simpler and easier to categorise, and therefore deal with in a healthy way.