Truchas (Elevation 8,000 Feet)
Climbing
these stairs,
I resemble
a trout
flopping
in dry air,
another gasp
and a ratcheting
heart rate, up,
out, and through
that opening,
into the pale glow.
O at the Edges
Musings on poetry, language, perception, numbers, food, and anything else that slips through the cracks.
O at the Edges 
wow, very good, I love the change in view, wonderful work
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Thank you.
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Wonderful, Bob! Can I ever relate! Loved it!
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Thanks, Lynne. I was really worried about my health, until I realized that everyone else had the same symptoms. 🙂
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very nice.
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Thanks, John.
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That sounds exactly like my asthma attack this morning! 🙂
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Not a great feeling!
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Oh, man. I was right back there! 🙂
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I’m contemplating a return. But next time I’ll know what to expect.
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My Fitbit tells me I’ve climbed five flights today–even though I’ve been in the car most of the day.
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Successful virtual multi-tasking?
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I guess. Either that or I climbed all those steps and am now repressing the memory.
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Repression is under-rated. 🙂
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Great comment! You made me laugh.
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Oh good!!
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…love that word ratcheting, so descriptive with lots of deeper meaning…as is and has, your poem. Love the vivid colours on the fish, also. Great words!
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Isn’t that a beautiful fish?
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It’s a stunner… 😊
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Had to look up “truchas” now I understand the double meaning and the fish photo. Thanks for another engaging view into the challenges of human living.
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How could I not mention trout? 🙂
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They are beautiful!
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Now I’ll have to do the same 🙂
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Yes, life itself can be like that sometimes.
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Oh, yes. It seems that way frequently.
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Stairs ! I don’t like them, they don’t like me. I can so relate to this 🙂
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They’re bad enough at an elevation of 500 feet, but at 8,000!
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You know, I’m thinking that the first half of this poem is an arresting haiku. But the height of the thin lines of the entire poem provides a visual sense of steepness, doesn’t it?
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Hmm. I hadn’t considered the “haikuness” of the first part, but yes, the form implies, I hope, steepness and stair steps.
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My little sister was born in Truchas, I love this poem.
Because of living up there for many years while growing up, altitudes don’t bother me much. Stairs are getting harder with age, though.
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I adapted to the altitude just in time to leave! And I am in agreement with you about stairs. 🙂
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I love the Sangre de Cristos mountains so much!
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They are majestic!
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Yep, I was like a trout at 14 000 feet in Peru – Deadwoman’s Pass nearly got it, and the bit after that and the bit after that….. then, wow! It sure was worth it, but I couldn’t do that now…. it was only about 8 years ago and now, as you know, the stairs are a problem! Ours are outside to come in, like a fire escape, so no way of making it easier.
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And I thought 8,000 was bad!
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Thanks for liking my poem about undying love of a mother. I’ve enjoyed reading some of your poems and particularly related to this one about climbing stairs – I’ll no longer place items at the bottom of my stairs to avoid making the trip up them as I’ll think of those climbing stairs in a much higher altitude… Thanks – it’ll help with my weight loss journey!
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I enjoyed your poem! Thanks for stopping by. Yes, those stairs!
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