Every once in a while, a CORE student writes something so good it DEMANDS to be published here in the CORE Insider. This is one of those times. Here is a standout poem from 6th-grader Rene Castellon that weaves strong narrative and sonic elements to create something that “ascends” to great poetic heights. 

Climb

by Rene Castellon

At the bottom of a snowy mountain, a man stands,
A hawk flies through the air, wings stretched like strands,
Letting out squawks while it stalks through the air,
The man, carrying heavy gear, began his ascend up the mountain.

He swung his axe into frozen rock,
Each strike echoing a sharp, hollow shock.
Snow crunched and slid beneath his weight,
Every step was a gamble with an unseen fate.

The wind whipped hard, a relentless gale,
Whipping his coat and blinding him with white veil.
He scaled over cornices, edges thin as a slice,
A misstep here would exact a terrible price.

Above, the hawk circled, a sentinel in the sky,
Its shadow tracing paths where dangers lie.
Avalanches rumbled in distant cracks,
A warning of peril that might plummet him back.

He traversed icy ledges, heart pounding in time,
Feeling the mountain’s challenge, cruel yet sublime.
With each upward step, the summit loomed near,
But slipping, slicing, or falling was always clear.

The sun shone weak through clouds of gray,
Glinting on ice along the way.
His breath came fast, his legs were sore,
Each step a struggle, each step more.

The hawk flew high above the ridge,
Watching the man climb, quiet and rigid.

Snow swirled around, cold and light,
Making the climb even more of a fight.

Finally, he reached the top at last,
Looking down at the steep path he passed.
The wind blew hard, but he stood there tall,
Pleased to have made it, not worried at all.

The hawk circled once, then flew away,
And the man stayed there at the end of the day.
The mountain was hard, but he had won,
The climb was over, and the work was done.