Untitled
by Karl Brussel
Rushing to The Peak
No one cared to see him live
They refused him Oxygen
Was this a genocide of one
Or dulling of humanness
One bent low and whispered
‘The peak The peak
I’m sure you’ll surely understand
It was your goal as well’
Did they offer aid
As he gasped for Oxygen
No, on to The Peak
But wait
Here comes the leader of the climb
Did he stop for long Not he
Rather go on to glory and to fame
The first to make the climb
On man made legs
They felt nothing then
Nothing
And never will.
Maybe…perhaps
That is why That is why
They passed on him
Did it Did it
Have to be?
The other to our common end.
Who can these climbers be?
Can they be like you
Can they be like me
Could you
Would i
Have left him there
To live
To die.
What arrogance
What grand deceit
To play the game
To decide
Who may lives
Who may dies.
Why?
As a chorus they replied
‘When we climb
The law is crystal clear
We decide how to help or not..
‘This was his third
His final try
Why by himself
Why no guide
Why no supplies
If not to bring and end
To his what was
What is
What is to be
‘Responsibility
We know ours well
Yes, we passed
His last request
Go on… reach The Peak
We felt sadness and remorse
But no guilt no shame
It was too late’
There are no guarantees
Who will live
Who will die
Does humanity demand we try?
‘An accident or planned
And self fulfilled
The end is always the same
Every court of law will
Find us innocent’
In times to come
When talking of the climb
Will they pass him by again
Talking only of their record
In all the record books.
Can we
Will we
Ever let them forget
Or do we share their innocence?
How Strange
How Bizarre
To Justify Yourself
‘There was nothing we could do’
Is To Live To Deny
Can climbing into record books
Be the measure of our times?
Did they have the decency
To even ask his name rushing
Rushing to The Peak