Originally published in 2022. Revised and republished in 2026. Original reader comments have been preserved and may refer to an earlier version of this piece.
“I Wanted To Be A Mountain” symbolizes the want to be the anchor for everyone around you but realizing you cannot carry the burdens of everyone else. In pushing to be the anchor, you end up neglecting yourself, your wants and dreams, in the hopes of accomplishing those of others.
This poem showcases the emotional struggle of fear, self-doubt and self-acknowledgment that they are not perfect. You are not able to please everyone.
I wanted To Be A Mountain
I wanted to be as strong as the mountains,
rooted deep into the ground,
unshakeable,
sheltered from the trees of my labor.
showcase my strength and might,
be an example of what it meant to never fall.
But I fell.
I fell from the pedestal I was trying to climb,
a pedestal made to be the best
and worthy of being the golden child.
I fell into the valleys of my fears,
of not being good enough,
not worthy of love;
of not being capable of handling the pressure of my faults.
fears that crippled and paralyzed my mind and body,
holding me down to remind me that I’m merely a human.
I bleed red as crimson
as my fears slice me apart.
I cry tears that showcase the love that shines through my eyes;
joy that spreads through my smile,
and pain that causes the mountain within me to tremble.
in the trembling of my hands,
the glassy stare of my eyes,
and the quiver of my lips,
the mountain within me shakes.
it shakes and it buckles.
I wanted to be as strong as the mountains,
to be able to withstand any storm.
to showcase my strength and my might,
to be an example that would never fall.
but I fell.
because I am not a mountain.
I am merely a human
-Primrose Morrison
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With love and a little ink,
Primrose.
Where there is forgiveness, to be human is enough. No one knows failure like I do. I’ve found that humans are often too afraid to forgive. But with God this isn’t the case. And God’s forgiveness is all you need. So then all that remains is to forgive yourself.