Touching The Void Poem by gershon hepner

Climb and try to touch the void
powered by your will;
happy to be unemployed,
you can’t roll downhill.

Inspired by news of the death of Ireland’s latest hero, Gerald McDonnell, who was the first Irishman to climb Ks, but died shortly after with eight other victims:

Indeed, the nation’s pride was acknowledged hours later by President Mary McAleese, who described the loss as “truly heartbreaking.” In a column in The Irish Independent, Mr. Falvey assured Mr. McDonnell’s family and the nation that he “died doing what he loved: touching the void.” “There will be no-one else sent up to look for them now because the risks are just too great, ” he wrote. “We accept, as Ger’s family do, that he will not be coming down from that mountain.”

8/4/08