Monday, May 23, 2016

She Awaits


image by glenn buttkus


She Awaits

“When you have reached the mountain top, then you shall
begin to climb--for when the earth shall claim your limbs,
only then shall you truly dance.”--Khalil Gibran.

I rise in the dark before dawn, waiting for my brother. When he
arrives with the apple fritters, the coffee is ready. We clean our
twin cameras, though mine is more beat up, discussing the two
years we have circumnavigated Mt. Rainier, cataloging all her
moods & looks. We hop into my bright red SUV, driving early
& fast toward the east, the Cascade foothills, the lair of the
majestic Ice Queen. 

It’s still dark when we turn off the highway, and start up the
graveled forest service road, following Huckleberry Creek.
We eagerly take the cut-off, seven miles straight up the
winding road to Sun Top, a ranger fire look-out station,
high above the thick fir forest. We park a mile from the top
and hike the rest of the way, just as the sun is cresting and
its searing tangerine rays coat everything. Half a mile from
the top, we get our first full glimpse of the mountain, its glaciers
still deep in snow--the singing sunrise smearing its slopes with
strawberry kisses.

From Sun Top we feel
we could touch Mt. Rainier, so
we do with our lenses.


Glenn Buttkus





22 comments:

brudberg said...

What a wonderful walk, I love how you describe the colors of that sunrise, and how close it feels when you see a mountain.. I do remember seeing Mt. Rainier through the haze from Seattle when I visited... great write Glenn...

tonispencer said...

Simply wonderful haibun. I like how the morning beins wigh apple fritters and coffee and the trip to "lair of the Ice Queen". Incredible way to relax, hiking up to capture the beauty of Mt. Rainier. Ice Queen...perfect. i so like how you live this mountain. You do a great job with this form. Clear and concise like a well taken and focused photograph.

tonispencer said...

Sorry for typos. My phone keyboard is too tiny for even faeries.

sarah said...

Strawberry kisses - every mountain should have them!

Walt Wojtanik said...

I misread that last line as senses instead of lenses, but I've come to realize they're one and the same! You've captured this well, Glenn!

Victoria said...

Wonderful way to start the day--the haiku was perfect...touching the mountain top with your lens. Couldn't help but think of the 4 people who lost their lives on Everest this last week. Talk about dying doing what you love!

Anonymous said...

Familiar territory. I wrote this for the April PAD in Poetic Asides:

Up from Longmire

Paradise at night
Snow reflects on Milky Way
No straight path to home.

Just reading your Haibun brought me back to a place long ago and far away. Great set-up to a great haiku!

Grace said...

What a spectacular view that is....mountain with strawberry kisses ~

A lovely haibun Glenn ~

De Jackson said...

LOVE this. Touching the earth with your lens. Relaxing, indeed.

Debi Swim said...

"the singing sunrise smearing its slopes with strawberry kisses." That sentence alone makes me smile. What a spectacular sight that must have been.

Mish said...

Chasing a sunset and capturing it's many moods...definitely something I would do, if I lived near mountains. I enjoyed every minute of your adventure. The apple fritters were a bonus, for sure!

Mish said...

Oops I meant sunrise! Either one is worth chasing. :)

B. E. Adalgari said...

Love how dense this is with specific detail and colorful imagery; how grounded it is with a concrete sense of place, with the unhurried, unassuming simplicity of language that characterizes more traditional haibun. The tone you've struck is perfect

Anonymous said...

strawberry kisses in the singing sunrise.. oh so perfect!

Gayle Walters Rose said...

I was right there with you on your early morning adventure with your brother. How well you describe your drive and the stunning landscape, Glenn. Love the "strawberry kisses" smearing the slopes!

Katie Mia Frederick said...

Nature and photography..
Yes.. a relaxing mix of
rest of Nature
beyond the
mundane
routines
oF life
to make
the routine
oF liFe sacred
iN aLL deTails
of big photo view..

Mindful
iN phoTography..
Peace aNd Blisst..:)

Misky said...

I love this; the hike, the exploration, the race against the sun. I'm surprised to see so little snow on the mountain though. Was this taken during the summer or recently?

Petru J Viljoen said...

I found the excitement, energy, expectation, exhiliration purifying.

Kathy Reed said...

Glen, your photo told me all I needed to know and your haibun embellished it eloquently. Having Mt. Rainier in our back yards is truly wonderful. If you visit her often you know her varying moods and have taken many shots of her. The mountain meadows must still be in high color. Although I live another 50 miles from her than I think you do, I see her in the distance every day. It's time a make the trip up there again....your words make me want to pack up and leave~

kaykuala said...

How nice it is to be able to capture through the lenses the beauty of nature. Glacier at the mountain top is something of awe. To see it in person in reality is a privilege. Great lines Glenn. Your pic is terrific!

Hank

vivinfrance said...

Delightful experience. I love mountains.

Rosemary Nissen-Wade said...

How beautiful! You had me at the apple fritters. (Smile.) I like to read your words first, then listen. Reading these words was thrilling, sharing your adventure. Your reading aloud of the words made them magical.