The Sand Life
Life is like a grain of sand.
A grain of sand lies at the bottom of the sea.Just off the shore.
Only feet from the place where the waves kiss the beach ever so softly.
This tiny piece of sand is just one of millions
That collectively form the floor of the ocean.
Oh the life of this grain. This tiny fleck of sand and all that it does see.
It sits idly as the tides roll in and out overhead.
But, it is violently uprooted by the sudden force of a stormy surge.
It floats along to the rhythm of the powerful waves.
And slowly drifts away from the coastline.
It falls into the deepest waters and wanders through leagues of darkness.
But, eventually, the grain is swept to the surface.
Where the sunshine warms the grain of sand and reminds it of the sky’s beauty.
It swims past some of the most stunning sea creatures and colorful coral formations.
It brushes against graceful ocean beings as they elegantly glide through clear waters.
It encounters ominous predators, deep caverns, and dark holes.
And just when it gets to used to the glowing daylight,
Dusk slips into night.
Some grains travel around the world, while other grains stay on the same beach.
Some flecks sift through the innocent hands of a curious child
While others are stuck to the bottom of feet and carried away from sandy shores.
Some grains are collected and stored in a jar.
And others blow away with the wind.
Some grains have a marvelous story to tell,
Of all the places they’ve been and the things that they’ve seen.
Some grains may not have much of an exciting past.
And others never leave the dark.
But each grain of sand is a vital part of the whole.
A component of the shore that completes the beach
That creates a surface for the crashing waves and the floor of a magnificent sea.
The sand wouldn’t feel the same beneath our feet without each grain.
(2014)
