"A Mountain In An Urn"

Someone put a mountain in an urn on my shelf.

I struggle to wrap my mind around how they got it all to fit.

For the mountain stood tall, and regal, and proud.

And left a vacuous hole where it once used to sit.

And it breaks my heart to see that the mountain crumbled and fell.

For it was where I always ran when my heart was breaking.

And it would envelop me in its loving embrace

Until my tears dried and my wounds stopped aching.

Upon its mighty shoulders, it showed me the world

In ways that I never would have seen from below.

I learned from that mountain more than most can fathom.

Within its reach, I blossomed. It watched as I’d grow.

I took it for granted; took for granted its strength.

I assumed it would be there every morning and night.

But I was wrong.

So wrong.

And I watched as the mountain came tumbling down

Despite how I held onto its berth with all my might.

And although I saw it, I still can’t fathom how something

so strong and majestic could end in a flash.

How so much that mattered could be condensed

into a small jar on a shelf full of dust and ash.

There’s a chasm left behind – on the earth. In my heart.

I’ve gained a mountain-sized footprint within myself

In exchange for a lifetime of memories and lessons long learned.

In exchange for a mountain in an urn on my shelf.