Himalayan Wrinkles

Yet another year

Again an audacity

To set my tiny feet

On mighty Himalayas

Dearly yearly pilgrimage

To pay my humble homage

When sun silences the night

I start my journey, a fight

Must I walk on carpet of pine needles

Endless forests of fallen foliage

Treacherous Himalayan terrains

With rumbling of my breath

To get a glimpse of snow peak

Where mountains heave a sigh

Melting glaciers of my soul

Into rivulets of tears I don't hold

On my way I see an old lady

From far, waving hands

In a welcoming gesture

Her skin told stories of resilience

Layers of history

Etched on her face

Weathered wrinkles

Of bygone tough winters

Beneath a weary eye

A testament of rigor

Every crease a Himalayan tale

She stood tall

In her small stature

A smiling resilient sentinel

Orphaned from my thoughts

I continued the journey

Trembling in the wind

Warming in the embrace of Himalayas

I smile and think

My wrinkles are my trinkets