                           Mountains!

In my youth I wanted to see the world
So I joined the Mountains.
You may not've heard of us:
Some places make a secret of it,
Hiring us for a few hours a week
In some vacant land on the outskirts of town
And the rest of the time
Hiding their mountainlessness
In fog.  

But the places I enjoy working are different.
Months in advance colorful posters will proclaim
"Coming soon -- Limited Time Only --
MOUNTAINS!"
And thousands will line the streets
For our opening parade.

We offer everything:
Scenic drives, ski lodges,
Railroads slowly winding their way
To wherever they are going,
Quiet meadows nestled in little valleys
Reached only after a day's hiking, 
Christmas-card scenes of moonlit hillsides
(for those places that have moons), 
Jewels mined by dwarves and polished by elves, 
And stormy nights when all roads lead only
To forbidding Transylvanian castles. 

But best of all are those few places that,
Tired of the sameness of streets and skyline,
Invite us right into town,
A refreshing transformation of the city,
Cable cars and all.  


                                        Thomas G. Digby
                                        written 0150 hr  8/31/74
                                        entered 2350 hr  3/16/92
