Once Upon A Mountain

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I wrote this ten years ago when my oldest son and I were on a backpacking trip in the Grayson Highlands Park in Virginia. It was a very memorable weekend for both of us. Once upon a mountain in the cold dark morning before dawn I stood and gazed at the stars before the gray light chased them on Behind me in his one man tent my oldest son was waking On the last morning of a backpack trip the two of us were taking I urged him hurry from his sleep so that he would not miss The mountains waking from their slumber in the morning's mist As first the black sky turned to gray and sight to us returned It seemed as if the vale below into a lake had turned But slowly as the daylight grew we saw it was a cloud That filled the valley there below, gray, and big, and proud Then the sun's first rays appeared o'er the far side ridge And our last day, and the trip home, began upon that ledge The light spread forth in mighty splendor, the clouds below gave way The grays and blacks became the green we'd hike through that last day A tear the view brought to my eye and to that of my son We said a prayer of thanks and praise unto the Heavenly One