ArtsAutosBooksBusinessEducationEntertainmentFamilyFashionFoodGamesGenderHealthHolidaysHomeHubPagesPersonal FinancePetsPoliticsReligionSportsTechnologyTravel

A Writing Challenge from Bill Holland: The Woman on the Mountaintop; Breathing Space

Updated on February 8, 2017
tobusiness profile image

Jo has been an ITU nurse at the London North West NHS Trust for 14 years. She obtained her RN at University College London Hospital.

Woman On The Mountaintop; A Chance To Breathe

Source

Natural Wonders To Take Your Breath Away

Scafell Pike, Cumbria, UK. England's highest mountain.
Scafell Pike, Cumbria, UK. England's highest mountain. | Source
Frozen Pangong Tso, Between India and China
Frozen Pangong Tso, Between India and China | Source
Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania
Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania | Source
( Montage) Lake Nakuru, Kenya
( Montage) Lake Nakuru, Kenya | Source
Amazon River, South America
Amazon River, South America | Source
Yellowstone National Park, Castle Geyser
Yellowstone National Park, Castle Geyser | Source
South Kaibab Trail, Grand Canyon
South Kaibab Trail, Grand Canyon | Source
Uluru/Ayers Rock, Northern Territory, Australia. Large sandstone  rook formation.
Uluru/Ayers Rock, Northern Territory, Australia. Large sandstone rook formation. | Source
Mother Shipton's Cave and Petrifying Wall, Yorkshire, U K   England's oldest Tourist Attraction
Mother Shipton's Cave and Petrifying Wall, Yorkshire, U K England's oldest Tourist Attraction | Source
The Amazing Great Barrier Reef, Australia. The largest reef system in the world
The Amazing Great Barrier Reef, Australia. The largest reef system in the world | Source
The Spectacular Iguazu Falls. Argentina. Lady Roosevelt famously responded when she first saw  Iguazu, "Poor niagara."
The Spectacular Iguazu Falls. Argentina. Lady Roosevelt famously responded when she first saw Iguazu, "Poor niagara."

Breathing Space

Since the beginning of time men and women have roamed the earth in pursuit of that elusive treasure, a soulmate. Not everyone succeeds. Some will compromise and settle for less, others may stumble and fall, but never give up the quest. For the few who are prepared to conquer the highest mountains to attain that dream, they'll find the reality far surpasses the dream....“Damn it; this isn't working. Why the hell can't I focus on this cursed book today?”

Writer's block is an affliction that has never troubled Bill. His agile brain and fertile imagination have earned him raved reviews for his books and articles. Today was different.

"I bet Harper Lee never suffered from writer's block, then again, she didn't write another book after 'to kill a mockingbird' now, did she?" Bill prattled to himself with his PC sitting idle before him; he was ready to access the flow of inspiration that usually comes so easily to him. This morning, however, the prolific writer could not get it together, his eyes seemed fixed on the woman beyond the window.

The large mass of reddish brown hair weaved in and out among the tall corn, raspberries and lavender. Occasionally, the woman would turn, lift her hand to shade her eyes from the morning sun as she peered into the mountain range in the distance. Bill could sense her restlessness; she was distracted, he knew what was on her mind.

Bev had initiated a campaign to prevent illegal mining in the protected areas around the Cascade mountain range. These are areas of outstanding natural beauty, they are the nation's breathing space, but there are those who would desecrate and destroy the sacred places for short term gain. Although the area is protected, corrupt politicians are experts at looking the other way, particularly when big money are involved. His wife was afraid that once again, callousness and greed will win the day. A cynical half-smile touched Bill's lips as he thought about the Jackass politicians in Washington. Yeah, he could read her like a book.

The word book, brought Bill's attention back to the computer before him, he really ought to get a few chapters written today, the deadline set by the publishers, was fast approaching and boy oh boy were they impatient! Time was the enemy.

The sight of the petite, but perfectly formed figure of his wife pottering about in the garden continued to draw Bill's eyes, she was the eternal fountain from which he drew his strength. It was Bev's love that made him whole again when the world chewed him up and spat him out. She is his best friend, his woman, his lover, his conscience. She is the muse whispering in his ears, motivating and inspiring him to go further than he dared to dream. She is the reason he gets out of bed in the morning. He loves her completely, and when she is unhappy, he is unhappy.

Right now, he could clearly see that like himself; she was having a real tough time concentrating on the work at hand, her attention was less on pruning flowers, more on the far-distant peaks. Bill gave in. Obviously, no work was getting done today; it was much too perfect a day to remain indoors.

He walked out into the garden, sneaked up behind his wife, threw his arms around her waist and embraced her. He began to nibble her ear, she smiled, turned around and kissed him hard on the lips.

“Bev, my love, do me a favour, put down those shears, let's face it my darling, your heart just isn't in it.” Bev looked at Bill through narrowed eyes. She opened her mouth, about to protest, but thought better of it and relaxed into her husband's embrace.

“It's beautiful isn't it?” Bill whispered in her ear, Bev smiled but did not reply. “Ok, that's it, come on, let's find our walking boots, I feel the need to climb a mountain.”

Bev did not need telling twice; she was ready and chomping at the bit. The voice of the mountain was loud and clear; even the deaf could not fail to hear the call.

Bill retrieved the backpacks from the cupboard, while Bev prepared sandwiches. She took two bottles of water from the fridge as Bill shouted. “Don't forget the first aid box, and wear a pair of double-layered socks...oh, and Bev, pack an extra pair, blisters are not much fun when you're on the top of a mountain, miles from anywhere, let me tell you.”

Like The Red Orchid, She Blossomed On The Mountaintop

Exhausted, but excited, she made it to the top of the mountain. The view was phenomenal. Exhilarated, she walked to a rise overlooking the valley and gazed into the Celeste blue sky, that seemed to go on forever. The mountain boasts not of boundaries nor borders, no race or creed to divide and conquer. It calls to us, come and lose yourself in my beauty, be at peace. Revel in the majesty where simple droplets grow into islands of clouds that shifts and drifts, pierced by rays of sunlight and driven by the wind to sail across the heavens like galleons. But we can only gaze in wonder.

"Whether we're fleeing demons or chasing angels when we get to the top of the mountain, we can not help but stop and wonder at our place in this universe," thought Bev.

On a day such as this, one could talk to the clouds, the spirit of the mountains lifted her high, high enough to see far beyond the horizon.

How small and insignificant we are? Yet; we too are a part of this magic. Bev's heart soared, she is at one with the mountains, the universe. She felt the powerful pull as the valley calls out to her; her spirit lifted like an eagle gliding on thermals. She gazed into the exquisite ancient parchment above her, where the sun and moon took turns to watch over the precious cache of jewels, like centurions on a sacred mission.

The woman on the mountaintop was acutely aware of the rare and precious gift that surrounded her. “Man should never be allowed to lay this to waste,” she said, indignantly. She pledged that she would fight to her very last breath until all the acres of forest and wildlife habitat are safely protected for future generations. To this end, she will ceaselessly rage war on those who would destroy this haven for monetary gain. She would keep right on petitioning until they were sick of the sight of her, one way or another, she was going to stop the clear-cutting and mining of the most rugged and wild places left in the country.

She drank greedily of the pure air, yielding to soft caress, as the cool mountain breeze washed over her vibrant skin.

Bev contemplated the awe-inspiring spectacle that enfolds her. She wished with all her heart that the whole world could share this miracle of nature that left her breathless. Overwhelmed, she started to sway.

She glanced down at her feet; she was standing among the clouds. Behind her, the noise of the city had long since faded away. She is connected, immersed in this magnificent beauty of nature, her soul quiet, her mind still.

A single tear traversed the beautiful, serene face, expertly etched by the hands of time, as Bev looked up at the sky. A teardrop trapped the sunlight in a rainbow prism. The woman on the mountain top felt her soul extending. Her husband leant forward, kissed the tear away, then dropped to his knees.

Bill took Bev's small hand in his as he gazed into her kind and gentle eyes. “Bev, marry me again.... darling let's renew our vows.” Bev didn't trust her voice; she nodded her head affirmatively.

Hand in hand they walked through the trees and into the pristine forest. No words were spoken, lest the spell be broken.


"Come away, O human child: To the waters and the wild with a fairy, hand in hand, For the world's more full of weeping than you can understand. (William Butler Yeats)
"Come away, O human child: To the waters and the wild with a fairy, hand in hand, For the world's more full of weeping than you can understand. (William Butler Yeats) | Source

Lake District National Park

When the earth ceases to breathe we all choke. Protect the breathing space.
When the earth ceases to breathe we all choke. Protect the breathing space. | Source

Into The Wide Blue Yonder

We can only gaze in wonder
We can only gaze in wonder | Source

The Bucket List

Which of these natural wonders are on your bucket list?

See results
working

This website uses cookies

As a user in the EEA, your approval is needed on a few things. To provide a better website experience, hubpages.com uses cookies (and other similar technologies) and may collect, process, and share personal data. Please choose which areas of our service you consent to our doing so.

For more information on managing or withdrawing consents and how we handle data, visit our Privacy Policy at: https://corp.maven.io/privacy-policy

Show Details
Necessary
HubPages Device IDThis is used to identify particular browsers or devices when the access the service, and is used for security reasons.
LoginThis is necessary to sign in to the HubPages Service.
Google RecaptchaThis is used to prevent bots and spam. (Privacy Policy)
AkismetThis is used to detect comment spam. (Privacy Policy)
HubPages Google AnalyticsThis is used to provide data on traffic to our website, all personally identifyable data is anonymized. (Privacy Policy)
HubPages Traffic PixelThis is used to collect data on traffic to articles and other pages on our site. Unless you are signed in to a HubPages account, all personally identifiable information is anonymized.
Amazon Web ServicesThis is a cloud services platform that we used to host our service. (Privacy Policy)
CloudflareThis is a cloud CDN service that we use to efficiently deliver files required for our service to operate such as javascript, cascading style sheets, images, and videos. (Privacy Policy)
Google Hosted LibrariesJavascript software libraries such as jQuery are loaded at endpoints on the googleapis.com or gstatic.com domains, for performance and efficiency reasons. (Privacy Policy)
Features
Google Custom SearchThis is feature allows you to search the site. (Privacy Policy)
Google MapsSome articles have Google Maps embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
Google ChartsThis is used to display charts and graphs on articles and the author center. (Privacy Policy)
Google AdSense Host APIThis service allows you to sign up for or associate a Google AdSense account with HubPages, so that you can earn money from ads on your articles. No data is shared unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
Google YouTubeSome articles have YouTube videos embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
VimeoSome articles have Vimeo videos embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
PaypalThis is used for a registered author who enrolls in the HubPages Earnings program and requests to be paid via PayPal. No data is shared with Paypal unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
Facebook LoginYou can use this to streamline signing up for, or signing in to your Hubpages account. No data is shared with Facebook unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
MavenThis supports the Maven widget and search functionality. (Privacy Policy)
Marketing
Google AdSenseThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Google DoubleClickGoogle provides ad serving technology and runs an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Index ExchangeThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
SovrnThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Facebook AdsThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Amazon Unified Ad MarketplaceThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
AppNexusThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
OpenxThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Rubicon ProjectThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
TripleLiftThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Say MediaWe partner with Say Media to deliver ad campaigns on our sites. (Privacy Policy)
Remarketing PixelsWe may use remarketing pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to advertise the HubPages Service to people that have visited our sites.
Conversion Tracking PixelsWe may use conversion tracking pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to identify when an advertisement has successfully resulted in the desired action, such as signing up for the HubPages Service or publishing an article on the HubPages Service.
Statistics
Author Google AnalyticsThis is used to provide traffic data and reports to the authors of articles on the HubPages Service. (Privacy Policy)
ComscoreComScore is a media measurement and analytics company providing marketing data and analytics to enterprises, media and advertising agencies, and publishers. Non-consent will result in ComScore only processing obfuscated personal data. (Privacy Policy)
Amazon Tracking PixelSome articles display amazon products as part of the Amazon Affiliate program, this pixel provides traffic statistics for those products (Privacy Policy)
ClickscoThis is a data management platform studying reader behavior (Privacy Policy)