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– Mark L Berry
(The essay is 4,700 words)
The audio story “As Far Away As I Could Get”
Read by the author
(with embedded companion song “The Infinite Steps”) 31:09
Words by Mark L Berry and Music by Simon Ashby
Performed by Simon Ashby
This is the companion song “The Infinite Steps” by itself 4:48
Lyrics:
(Intro)
To get away from my grief
I went far away
I strapped on a pack
And lived day to day
When I’m wearing a pack
Every step is a chore
But with every step
There’s another step more
Nine hours of climbing
A 3000 foot rise
The last thing I needed
Was a scary surprise
(chorus)
The Infinite Steps
Continued on and on
As far as I can see
And I’ve been climbing since dawn
Whistling in the woods
That can’t be good
Am I being followed?
I froze where I stood
Those birdcalls are fake
And even though I ache
If they decide to attack me
They’ll learn their mistake
I’ll fight ‘til I’m dead
I have nothing to live for
If you want a fight
I’ll give you a war
(chorus)
The Infinite Steps
Continued on and on
As far as I can see
And I’ve been climbing since dawn
I picked up a rock
And resigned to my fate
Nowhere to run
So I stood up straight
I can’t afford
To be easy prey on the trail
They’ll want a soft target
But they’re gonna fail
I could hear them
Just off to my right
Making noise in the woods
Just out of sight
(chorus)
The Infinite Steps
Continued on and on
As far as I can see
And I’ve been climbing since dawn
When I finally
Approached Ghoripani
What did I see
Looking back at me?
Four shady boys
Staring at my hand
At the rock I was holding
That spoiled their plan
So they slipped away
Avoiding the village
To wait another day
For a trekker to pillage
(chorus)
The Infinite Steps
Continued on and on
As far as I can see
And I’ve been climbing since dawn
The risk was behind me
The view my reward
Was it worth the climb?
I’d reached an accord
I couldn’t go back
To before my gal’s death
But just like on the trail
I could count every breath
And reach for the sun
Climbing over the range
And decide what I could handle
And what I couldn’t change
(4th Chorus)
The Infinite Steps
Went on and on
But tomorrow I’ll see
The Himalayas at dawn
The Infinite Steps
Went on and on
But tomorrow I’ll see
The Himalayas at dawn
Lyrics Copyright©2010 by Mark L Berry
13,760 Feet–Living with TWA Flight 800