Mount Rainier Majestic Monument to Her Dead
Mount Rainier
Mount Rainier, Tahoma, why did you take them, why do you still keep those you claimed?
They were sworn to protect your lands yet still they remain in your hands.
You have their bodies, you have their spirits always close to you.
Mount Rainier, your majestic beauty instills awe and respect in all who gaze at you.
She is a challenge to some, a fear to others.
Within her beauty is a lake of burning fire, a fire that can destroy all within her vision.
She is an ancient goddess who can give beauty and love when desired by any,
Cause suffering and heartache for many.
Like Gaia of old, Tahoma, you bring forth creations of beauty
And feed the lands around you with blessed waters.
You feed rivers of life-giving sustenance for the lands they journey through.
Life springs up, for the rivers are your daughters, and you, dear lady, are the Mother of Waters.
Yet at any moment you may erupt into fury,
Destroying that which you created and then wish to bury.
You give life, you create beauty, you take life and create sorrow.
We live only for the moment within your presence, for we know not what awaits us on the morrow.
You allow all to admire you, for beautiful you are,
Yet you are so forbidding when keeping your secrets from us afar.
Legends you hold, legends of old. Tatoosh, your beloved Thunder Bird,
is nurtured on your glaciers and sleeps in your arms.
Tatoosh flaps his giant wings and causes snows to fall,
In its path the avalanche buries all.
He flashes his eye and creates lightning,
Warning the people to stay submissive, for he is terror, and frightening.
The people paint pictures of Tatoosh to cheer his days, to honor him, and not offend him.
They pray for your serenity to please you, so they try to befriend him.
You give majestic beauty for all to admire,
Deep within your heart is death causing fire.
Yet still you claim lives of those who honored and adored you, some you will not give up,
Those who meant not to harm you.
You took the lives of thirty-two young men, those who
trained to protect you and the lands you so love.
You hold them in your bosom now, so far above where they lie, safe in your protection clearly,
Yet so far from those who are so proud of them and love them dearly.
Their bodies you have, their hearts you do not hold, for their hearts are with loved ones of old,
Yet, their spirits are never far from you, so let it be told.
These men were on their way to fight and protect our freedom,
did you love them so, were they too young to go, is that why you took them?
You stand in your beautiful and majestic pose above,
protecting the Marines whom others still love.
~~~
Note From Author ~
As dangerous as she is, Mount Rainier is the most beautiful, most spiritual place I have ever been to. I was born within her domain, on a farm in Pierce County, Washington. I grew up under the ever present awareness of the colossal snow covered pyramid that was as much a part of my daily life as the air I breathed.
Mount Rainier has at her summit two volcanic craters, each more than 1000 feet in diameter. It is these two peaks which my father always called “her breasts” — and it is between these two peaks that 32 young marines lost their lives when their Curtis Commando R5C army transport plane crashed on December 10, 1946. Their bodies still lie there frozen in time, much as they were when fresh from boot camp in San Diego on their way to Seattle, and the
majestic goddess will not relinquish them despite several attempts.
~~~~
© 2016 Phyllis Doyle Burns
I have always liked to write.It is important to me that writing comes from my heart and soul. When writing poetry, if I do not feel a spiritual connection to what I am writing on, I will discard it and go on to something I can connect with on a spiritual level. I live in the moment, I write from the past or beyond the veil. When writing fiction I go with whatever inspires me at the moment - it could be funny, sorrowful, romantic or sometimes done with the use of colloquial language from mountain folk or other cultural regions.
I began writing content online in 2007, starting with BellaOnline - A Voice For Women, where I was the Native American Editor, Folklore & Mythology Editor, and the Appalachian Editor. I also wrote articles forThe Examiner, Daily Two Cents, and Yahoo. I am currently an author on HubPages.
Most of what I write takes a lot of research and I love it. Even if it is a fictional story, I will research for accuracy in whatever it takes to make my characters, their era, their location, etc. become realistic to the reader.
I hope you enjoy my works. Thank you for visiting.
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I am a native Washingtonian, though I lived 20 of my 60 years in California. I began in Pierce country and currently still live there.
My mom lost a cousin on the mountain.
Very poignan poem.
Hi Lori. Oh how I miss living in Washington. I lived in both Pierce and King Counties. Mount Rainier has taken so many lives – how hard it surely was for your Mom and family to lose one.
Thank you so much for reading and commenting, Lori, I appreciate it.
Attesting the shear power of nature and a reminder of just how fragile life is. So well penned and emotive Phyllis, with just a touch of the mythology that always surrounds such natural force. Great work and very much enjoyed.
Thank you so much, Tony. One cannot fully grasp the size and power of Mount Rainier till seen in person and it is almost unbelievable even then. When I look back on my life, living so close to the mountain, I can see that we so appreciated every day, every minute of life. During thunder and lightening storms, which would last all night long, Mom and Dad would light candles and tell stories to us seven kids. To us kids, thunder was an avalanche on the mountain and lightening was Tatoosh blinking rapidly. So very glad you enjoyed reading this, Tony. Thanks again.