Mount Katahdin

The mountain returns
     man’s defiant gaze
a balm I use to rub on my goose bumps
     another myth I refuse to explain
    
god sees all but
     takes note of none

doesn’t reject nor accept your sacrifice
     and doesn’t mind if you obsess about it

go climb if you want
     the mountain is yours
the ticks you carry also belong to you

but don’t ask god to explain it all
     if you don’t listen to the trailside greens
confessing to your boots

the silence of the mountain
     is a naked monument
echoing the dome of an ancient library

don’t go to the mountain
     seeking god
god is not lost
      needs no seeking

sits there on the mountain
     teasing you if it’s laughter

the silence sounds like to you