He Climbed Mt Everest

by LisaMay

Edmund Hillary was his name.
The pinnacle as a mountaineer
became his claim to fame.
I offer here a resounding cheer.

A New Zealander was our Ed,
a beekeeper by trade.
Bold aspiration filled his head;
his dream could not be delayed.

A modest man and strong of heart,
he set his eyes on the goal.
Sherpa Tenzing, too, did play his part.
For each, a courageous role.

An epic adventure to the crest
of Himalayas' forbidding peak.
As part of a team, they strived their best.
With praise we'll always speak.

The challenge became so very hard;
the highest mountain loomed tall.
They struggled to climb each icy yard;
would they gain the top at all?

Stormy weather closed in
with the summit nearby.
Their prospects looked grim.
Would they survive or die?

With steady tread after tread,
those two climbers pressed on
to achieve great glory ahead,
and the highest mountain was won!

Seen as a British success,
the mountain was climbed in '53.
Praise and esteem I express,
and I hope that you'll all agree.

The day of the Queen's coronation,
news arrived in London fair city.
What a joyous communication!
A knighthood decreed by committee.

He would now be known as 'Sir Ed',
firmly placed as a celebrity.
But fame never went to his head;
he was a man of deep humility.

He had formed a bond with Nepal
and wanted to help where he could.
The Sherpas had not much at all;
Ed worked really hard for their good.

He established the Himalaya Trust,
and organised a volunteer crew.
He began to work with no fuss.
There were so many projects to do.

An airstrip and schools were erected,
and health clinics in far off locations.
This man was greatly respected
throughout that impoverished nation.

Now this part of the story is grim,
for it came at such a huge cost.
It utterly devastated him;
pain on his heart was embossed.

Wife and daughter were on their way.
Ed watched the sky for a speck.
The little plane was expected that day,
but it crashed in a fiery wreck.

His spirit was broken too.
Years of misery he overcame
to carry those projects through.
We honour his name with acclaim.

Life is not just about who is best,
who can climb faster or higher than most.
It's what we can achieve in a test,
and help others, without any boast.

I was born in 1953,
the year he answered adventure's call.
Sir Ed Hillary is a hero to me
for worthy deeds he did in Nepal.

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Mountaineer Sir Ed Hillary

He Climbed Mt Everest

by LisaMay

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