Humanity Alive

Two men were roving
In the midst of a forest,
Under the cover of darkness
And the mist
And the dews
That spread in their ways.
Both trod a lost path
Questing their destination;
As a shepherd sought
The lost lamb in his herd!
Along their journey
They viewed high mountains;
Heaps of stone,
That bordered on three sides.
Both deliberated to climb
The high mounts
To reach their destination;
In the adventurer’s way!
The two started so.
Along the course of ascent,
They noticed a solitary tree,
With a solitary branch
Stretched across the hill,
The man atop,
Passed the tree, moved further
And looked down the hill,
His eyes revealed a fear of death;
His hands quivered
As if he had lost all energy!
Then he glanced up;
Noticed just a few more feet to go
To the pinnacle!
He lifted his hands,
Dragged his body,
Toward the summit
Yet he could not;
The shiver of his hands;
Lost him the grip
The weight he could bear not!
As he was airborne
Nearing the last step downhill,
His hands caught
The solitary branch
Of the solitary tree
Yet balance he could not!
As his body moved to and fro;
At last he scaled it
With his legs;
His knees bent on the branch!
And eyes seeking
The depth of the valley
As he embraced the fear of death!
The man below
Looked up the hill;
Noticed his comrade hanging
On the solitary branch
Of the solitary tree,
A nameless fear rose within.
He knew not
What he had to do.
His hands started trembling
Just as his crony experienced before;
He heard his companion:
“Go ahead! Go ahead!
Think not about me.
Just a few more feet,
Go ahead! Go ahead!”
He started to climb
And moved further!
After he’d hoisted himself
Another two feet
He glanced down
At his estranged cohort
At the fear and hopelessness;
He lost his focus
And his fingers were nervous,
Lost all grip and control;
As he too slipped down
The mountain-side
Approaching the depth of the valley;
Suddenly a hand grasped him
Mid-air, with the grip of death
Into life: The hand of his companion,
Hanging on the solitary branch
Of the solitary tree;
Seized and held his chum
From his right;
After a great effort
His partner caught
A solitary root
Of the solitary tree;
His eyes greeted his companion
With tears of love and pain;
As he noticed the fracture
To his right hand;
He held him.
Took a rope
From his backpack
Gave an end to his buddy,
Tied another to his hip;
The man hanging on the tree
Said to his comrade:
“Go ahead! Go ahead!
Just a few more feet
Go ahead! Reach the top!
Then think about me.”
The mate respected his words
And commenced his journey
Atop the hill;
With renewed hope and belief,
He had witnessed
The valley of death
When he dropped off
The path of heaven;
Through his comrade,
Arose once more
Onto the top
With great effort,
As he hauled up his beloved cohort
To the top of the hill on a rope;
And together,
They savoured their destination
As they attained the path of heaven!