I rest as I near the top of the hill,
And look back down to the long path behind me.
I start remembering those things that occurred
Whilst climbing to this height.
At the bottom the childhood days
Where every day was a delight,
Nothing to worry me,
Mum and Dad always there for me,
My friends close by.
The battles we fought
Against the cowboys or Indians.
The sword fights where I was d’Artagnan,
And always won.
The gentle stroll upwards towards youth.
The wonders of first love,
And its disappointments.
Further up the hill
The path started to get steeper
As work takes over my life.
A time of new adventures,
And responsibility.
I reached a plateau
Where I stopped and fell in love,
That love is still walking beside me
As we climb this hill.
Sometimes the path has been rocky,
But those boulders soon became pebbles
As I strode over them.
I came lovingly into retirement
And looking back I find
Life has been good.
The beauty that I have seen
While ascending this hill
Remains with me.
My love, of course, always there for me.
But my love of nature,
Of words,
Of art,
And of course music are still there.
Music has been with me all of my life,
From those days with my father,
Listening to music on the gramophone.
All type of music enjoyed
Thanks to his eclectic taste,
Which has grown fruit
Within my life.
I get up and continue the climb
Knowing that the path behind me
Has been good to me,
And the shorter path ahead
Will be full of wonder.