The Stairs of Life

November 6, 2015.
Beijing, China

He looked up at the mountain, looming large and high,
Took a breath of determination, and ascended the Stairs of Life
Legs pumping, heart beating, he focused on the steps
Moving fast and planning on what he would do next
There were others on the Stairs, but he didn't learn their names
He preferred solitude for speed, he couldn't afford to play games
He reached the top triumphantly and finally looked around
The views were truly spectacular, but views were all he found
"I made it here the fastest," he recognized with pride,
But he sat and waited lonely, with no one by his side
After what seemed like ages, others came along
Laughing and singing together, he sat and viewed the throng
They had scars and bumps and bruises, but joy was in their eyes
And what they started telling him took him by surprise
They told tales of peaks and canyons, of rivers, rocks, and trees
Of the respite they found sitting in the pleasurable mountain breeze
The things that they were saying, he didn't understand
How did they climb the Stairs while they saw all this new land?
They had left the Stairs and safety, the hillside to explore
They had never imagined what the mountain had in store
They found unlikely friends and family they never thought they would
They developed skills and talents they never knew they could
While they did fall injured, they learned who truly cared
For they found what really mattered when they were lost and scared
Though they weren't the fastest hikers, more happiness was theirs
For you miss all the adventure if you focus on the stairs.