Now most of you've been here before
And usually what is in store
Are some determined people bent
On one more dangerous ascent.
The hand of death is never far away
A price they are prepared to pay.
And readers readily hold their breath
At every near brush with death.
But this year's award winning tale
Takes us all on a different trail.
The mountain trails here are serene.
That's not the case with the opening scene.
The usual case is turned on its head.
The Mountain's deadly is what's said.
But here it's a severe attack,
Enough to make the strongest crack.
But Steve is made of sterner stuff.
For even this was not enough.
The religious may find it somewhat odd
That Steve did not cry out to God.
But in this book we are told by Steve
That he's an atheist and doesn't believe.
While strangely nothing much was grabbed
Ameeta and Steve were badly stabbed.
At first he could barely feel
But slowly he began to heal.
The healing came on mountain trails.
The mountain cure never fails.
And then of course at a later time
He found the sacred and sublime.
For an atheist to use these words is strange
But while you're in the mountain range
You can ponder on it at length
And draw upon your inner strength.
And Nanda Devi the perfect peak
Will gently guide all those who seek
And within ourselves in good time
We'll find the sacred and sublime.
This story shows us Steve's a fighter
But he always was a writer.
Adversity can build a man
And now we know that Stephen can
Reach greater heights in his writing.
I can do no better than by citing,
"Not many people who love high hills
Write like this." High praise for his skills.
Now Stephen can claim two nations
Born in Landour, Queen of Hill Stations
In our India. But it's USA
From where his parents made their way
To Woodstock School and his father Bob
Just happened to have the Principal job.
Undoubtedly his father's station
Could only have helped his education.
In addition you will often find
Two cultures lead to a supple mind.
Creativity then tends to thrive
And success will come to those who strive.
In his early books there's much to savour
And many of them soon found favour.
In Cairo he began to teach
And this enabled him to reach
In seven years, not that much later
My undergraduate Alma Mater.
A school who's reputation's mighty
None other than our MIT.
When awarding this prize to Bernadette,
A repeated winner, we had met.
We spoke of writing and MIT,
Two things in common as you can see.
And recently in Dehradun
I arrived at Vana and very soon
Though Rati and I had traveled far
More than the treatments at the spa
I was so glad that we did avail
Of the chance to go on a nature trail.
The slope was steep and I did falter
But the guiding hand of Stephen Alter
Steadied me and led the troop
On the beautiful forest loop.
The morning started with a chill
But the sun shone bright on Flag Hill.
Rolling hills were spread around
And in the distance could be found
The snow clad peak of Monkey Tail
Or Bandarpunch whose tale didn't fail
To elicit peels of laughter.
According to the myth, right after
Hanuman's tail was burning bright
Lanka was torched and given a fright.
Then finally to end the show
The fire was quenched in this peak's snow.
The trail helped us to take a look
At a microcosm of this book,
Where wisdom spouts as from a fountain
And Stephen Alter becomes a mountain,
Serene, calm and impassive
But dignified, lofty and massive.
