The View From Pedernal by Peter Reum

Growing  up in the mountains
Made my life feel small
Their presence seems eternal
When I am away from them they call

People in the mountains are honest
They tell you what they think
They never pull their punches
Even if their patience is on the brink

I feel at home when in the heights
Explanations are never needed
People long known offer acceptance
My oldest friends are quietly greeted

We speak honestly---lowering our guard
Time freezes though changes came
We speak of friends long gone
Sorrows and happy days-not the same

What we have in common is aging
So many we knew now are gone
They live on in our common memories
Vitally alive whether dusk or dawn

My hope is when I leave this Earth
people that live on in my heart
Will show me the ropes over there
My family and friends departed

Ms. O'Keeffe loved Cerro Pedernal
People say her soul lives up there
She fell in love with that mountain
Will she be so kind as to share?

Pedernal