The Mountains They See

by Tom Mueller

The kids had decided – Colorado the choice
They’d hoped for this move, to that they gave voice
To parents at home this decision seemed rash
An ill-planned trip could burn through their cash
Or worse, result in dashed dreams and defeat
High expectations left dashed on the street

Mother’s voice echoed with calls for a pause
Stop this madness, use the common sense clause
Wait til you’re ready, with cash and a plan
You’ll stand on your own, not sink in the sand

But onward they trod, their decision in hand
Any problem they faced they would somehow withstand
Expectations ran high and inside them hope, too
As they loaded the truck, prepared for the move

Their abode an RV, a behemoth on wheels
Their home and retreat from many ordeals
It’s made to be mobile, their dreams to pursue
But living this lifestyle was foreign and new

I give them credit – risk takers they are
Living their dream, chasing a star
So off they set, but adversity loomed
As mother predicted, the whole trip seemed doomed

Engine parts lay strewn on the dirt
A massive explosion, yet no one was hurt
Frustration and heartbreak and destiny’s pain
Stranded halfway to their big mountain dream

The shock and the tears they could not forego
Their dream now in pieces strewn on the road
The truck was a loss, and sold for a song
So much sweat and work, and now it was gone
A gut punch this was to those hopes held so high
All they could do was sit down and cry

But resourceful they are and help soon arrived
Families joined to support and to guide
They didn’t give up, a new driver they hired
With money attained from their truck now retired
Onward they went, tears now in the past
At last to the mountains, the dream in their grasp

I journeyed with them to give guidance and funds
To listen and counsel, and give great big hugs
Their spirits are boosted, the mountains they see 
Much work lay ahead as they live out their dream.

January 18, 2024