Kilimanjaro

In space in time I sit thousands of feet above the sea May Sarton

There are many who have come to my three peaks. Shira is my easiest at 13,140 feet, Kibo my highest at 19,340 (highest peak in Africa) and Mawenzi at 16,893. It is not a technical climb but rather a feat of endurance and determination. Do not get altitude sickness or you will fail.

Hemingway camped at my feet. His interest was in hunting and taking trophy, not in climbing me. Hans Meyer and Ludwig Purtscheller were the first Europeans to my summit in 1889. Yohani Kinyala Lauwo, a native, and declared member of this summit party, did my summit three times before WWI, once without shoes.

On a clear day you can see my snows from miles away. Come and see my mountain of whiteness. Come and strive for my highest summit Uhuru Peak, Freedom Peak in Kiswahili.

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dVerse prompt to use May Sarton quote in flash fiction. This is flash historical fiction with Kilimanjaro speaking.

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Women on Horses

In a dream, there are horses and women are riding them. The horses are huge like none I have ever seen before. (They are like the elephant is to the mahout.). They are coming forward. The riders look so small and the horses are so large. They are not running. They are not trotting. They are stepping, coming boldly with strength and power. I can still see them in my dream. My analytical mind takes me out of the dream and I think of what I was taught by culture, by history. The woman must be on her high horse. Knock the woman off of her high horse. Woman, do not listen to that. That is not the voice of God. The women are coming on their horses.

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NaPoWriMo to write about a dream.  This dream was so visual I can still see it.