At sunrise we push onward
above the ninth station toward
the summit as layers of cloud
fill the tea-leaved valley floor
while a ball of sun slowly peeks
over the Pacific rim illuminating
bright red Buddhist torii
until we reach the very top
of volcanic Fuji-san and
listen to chanting monks
all the while staring intently
at our mountain's pyramidic
shadow moving quickly across
wooden-templed Honshu Island.