The easy hike ended in a little waterfall.

Beautiful in its own right. Simple.

But then they decided to try the harder hike.

The one that was uphill and narrow.

The one that needed breathing breaks.

The one that made your legs burn.

And then, waiting at the end….

Magnificence.

Waves crashing over each other,

Making a symphony of sound that

Seemed better suited for a rain forest

Than just outside Gatlinburg, TN.

The water moved downward,

Dancing in ways they hadn’t imagined

When they’d seen only the smaller

Trickle of a fall earlier that day.

The journey had been hard–

But the end had been worth it.

A lesson in life–

Or, at least, in hiking.

Copyright Sarah Davidson 2020