The Woman on the Mountaintop (a Writing Challenge by Bill Holland)

Bill Holland(aka. billybuc) recently issued the following challenge in his hub "A Writing Challenge: The Woman on the Mountaintop":

"The photo you see is one I took several years back of my wife, Bev, standing on top of Pinnacle Peak in the Cascade Mountains. It is one of my favorite pictures of Bev because it perfectly captures her spirit and love of nature. I invite you to take part in the challenge and see what wondrous story or poem you can create based on this picture."

This hub is my response :)

Brenda smiled as she gazed across the deep valley. It reminded her of a plunging cleavage separating two great breasts of some reclining giantess. Above and beyond where she stood beckoned a magnificent snow capped peak looking like a custard covered Christmas pudding surrounded by a sea of frothy whipped cream. The mountain seemed to sit apart from the Earth itself. She imagined that's how Heaven looked, floating on God's special clouds.

Stretching her arms above her head Brenda made her body as straight and tall as she could. She breathed deeply of the fresh clean mountain air free from smog and traffic and industrial fumes.

The Cascade Mountains, and Pinnacle Peak in particular, was her special place. The beautiful mountain she stood on was covered in a carpet of green and the Viagra coloured sky stretched out as far as the eye could see. She grinned again at the surprising metaphors her subconscious mind came up with.

When she returned home to her normal city life with its everyday stresses and frustrations, all Brenda had to do was close her eyes and imagine her special mountaintop haven. Then all her cares and troubles just evaporated. Not that she was a worrier.. far from it.

Her husband "Dutch" always said that Brenda was one of the most care-free and optimistic people he had ever known. It was what he loved most about her. He admitted thanking God every day that she saw something in him that appealed to her. They say opposites attract, like chalk and cheese. Maybe they complimented each other, the yin and yang so to speak, or so many other corny overused cliches.

It wasn't like they were made for each other and shared everything in common. They had both been married before and had their own children and had lived very different lives. In fact they possessed two very different personalities but were truly in love and made the effort to show an interest and join in each other's favourite activities.

The environment and nature were very important in both their lives. Even at home in town they strived to live as self-sustainably as possible, growing their own vegetables and raising poultry for food, and recycling as much as they could. Another activity that Brenda and Dutch both truly enjoyed was hiking. They tried to spend every other available weekend trekking in the mountains or National Parks.

No matter how many times they hiked up the same mountain to the Pinnacle Peak summit there were new sights to see, creatures to encounter, strangers to befriend. Besides who could ever tire of the amazing views?

A few years back Dutch had taken a photo of Brenda standing on this exact same mountain peak and doing exactly as she was now. His special name for her was "The Woman on the Mountaintop", and she loved it.

The woman on the mountaintop

Surveys her distant realm.

The only crown upon her head,

A sprig of mountain flowers.

She stretches arms above her head

And wishes they were wings,

So she could spread them like a hawk

And soar from peak to peak.