Free at last! III

ten thousand years since glaciers cleft its face
the granite of Yosemite's pristine.
No longer slogging up at Harding's pace, 
this generation likes its climbing clean.
Lynn Hill debuted the new way on the Nose
although deplorables still lean on aid.
Each year, a new "impossible line" goes
and--incrementally--progress gets made.
Now Alex went free-solo up el-Cap;
vicariously, millions share his win.
Between us and young Honnold yawns a gap
meticulously filmed by Jimmy Chin.
Sang-froid! Just skills and chalk and shoes and wall
as we suppress the prospect of a fall

Free at last! II

ten thousand years since glaciers milled its face
the granite of el-Capitan's pristine.
No longer slogging up at Harding's pace, 
this generation likes its climbing clean.
Lynn Hill debuted the new way on the Nose
although deplorables still lean on aid.
Each year, a new "impossible line" goes
and--incrementally--progress gets made.
Now Alex went free-solo up el-Cap;
vicariously, millions share his win.
Between us and young Honnold yawns a gap
meticulously filmed by Jimmy Chin.
Apotheosis! The iconic wall
bows to the hero who would risk it all.

free at last!

ten thousand years since glaciers milled its face
the granite of el-Capitan's pristine.
No longer slogging up at Harding's pace, 
this generation likes its climbing clean.
Lynn Hill debuted the new way on the Nose
although deplorables still lean on aid.
Each year, a new "impossible line" goes
and--incrementally--progress gets made.
Now Alex went free-solo up el-Cap;
vicariously, millions share his win.
Between us and young Honnold yawns a gap
meticulously filmed by Jimmy Chin.
A rock-star owning the iconic wall
as we suppress the prospect of a fall

Hull, May

the risen sun finds pilots still abed
still speculating what the day will bring
while buzzing insects swarm each netted head
as if we were the sweetest blooms of Spring
the season's on, despite calls for new snow
and Jake's with Kurtis, chasing epic flights
but we've a more bucolic place to go
surveying Pillsbury from RedSpot's heights
two days of soaring, 'though no one got high
on Sunday thermals topped out at the clouds
from here, it's hard to see a reason why
we'd spend our holiday with noise and crowds
a gentle shake-down as the year's begun
the sober pilots know that Hull's still fun

so free

Lynn Hill free-climbed the Nose of Capitan
where Warren Harding toiled with bolts and tools
surpassing the best done by any man
as if the gods of yesteryear were fools

no etriers or fixed ropes bore her weight
her gear was just protection from a fall
as she surpassed the Valley's climbing greats
in feats of steely fingers on the Wall

if now a soloist forsakes the rope
does he serve progress? Or embrace despair?
in pressing upwards does he misplace hope
departing Mother Earth to tread on air?

his fanbase watches Honnold climb and sighs
but Alex grabs the gusto ere he dies

rock on

I'm afraid this one makes hash of the history

first sun that warms el Capitan each day
must glint on bolt-stubs Royal Robbins chopped
reminders as they slowly rust away
of Harding's ego's size before it popped
but Robbins still relied on climbing aid
repeating the Dawn Wall by Harding's route
until Lynn Hill would  knock it down a grade
all dreams of climbing free there had seemed moot
a woman's hands brought more than strength and knack
to climbs that stumped the masters at that game
to bear her weight in vanishing-thin cracks
would put her muscled Camp-Four mates to shame

if Honnold would now climb it without gear
must we conclude he's wholly without fear?