It takes an Olympian effort
to climb a tree of Olympus
Zeus blessed this great redwood
with the gift of height
and of strength
for a reason
Niches and holes
in the rough bark
make a home for nymphs
and fawns.
As strong as Antaeus
my tree holds tight to the ground
drawing strength
from mother Gaea
The serpents living
in the roots are
ever trying to destroy
my Yggdrasil
Yggdrasil
tree of life
holder of worlds
I am trying to conquer it
My squirrley brothers and I
set out to climb our Mt. Olympus
our Yggdrasil
I look above me
into the great tangle
branches and leaves
and wonder what worlds I will discover
what new mythical creatures
are scurrying around
my Goliath
Perhaps David himself
is living here
hiding
for 2000 years
in the giant's warm embrace
We prepare for our treacherous climb
double check the harnesses
and lifelines
Strap on my helmet
it fits like a turtle shell
over my skull
Hopefully
protecting my mind
from becoming turtle soup
We start the climb
hand
over
hand
step
by
step
we climb
up
and
up
and
up
meeting birds
and branches
along the way
Rest for a spell
on a branch the size
of a tree itself
Eating peanut butter and jelly
sandwiches
we sit
with our feet dangling
high above ground
Looking down
from the middle of Olympus
is daunting
If you fall
you fall
and fall
all the way to
Hades
to visit Persephone
For hours we climb
hauling ourselves
upwards
until Finally
our quest is complete
Standing on a mountain
of a tree
above all other things
my eyes take in it all
The blue sky
The green tree tops
The purple mountains in the distance
I am on top of Olympus
I am a God.