Under a darkening sky, I trudge alone
Up the winding path of a hill
Having reached the crest, my two feet stop
And I am finally still

Above looms bleak and bitter clouds
Blocking every scrap of light
So I can hardly see the cliff upon
Which I stand, spanning far left and right

Below is a rolling dark mass of wet
Stretching out to meet the sky
The vast roaring sea fills my ears, and
Selfishly takes up my eyes

Sharply whipping my hair and pelting my face
The ocean presents a powerful gale
That gives flight to bird, height to waves
And pushes distant ships to sail

I had come for an escape
Giving my thoughts a chance to unwind
The stress of life was put on hold
As I slipped away from my kind

I gaze in awe at nature's might
My darkest emotions dissolve
Without my knowing, my mind is cleared
While negative thinking is resolved

I had come to this place
Sure that I was more important than all
But I was silenced by power, and
Was left feeling small

Somehow it's reassuring
To know there is more
To our troubling world than what
Wants to scare, anger, and bore

So I let the scene chill my flesh
Seep into my mind, touch my heart
Fill my ears with wind and waves
That have known the Earth since its start

Eventually, stiff sore feet
Walk down the path away from the sea
But this enlightening time of solitude
Will always be kept with me

For I realize all that is needed
To cleanse a pained heart and head
Is not worldly indulgence
But a simple escape instead