Waves crash upon the shore
Grains bound with stories
Swept away by receding tides
Swallowed by the ocean's maw
Roughened by a journey of
Tosses and tumbles
Gentle foamy kisses guiding them
Onto a distant pebbled beach
As tears of salty water trail
After a wave that bade farewell

Fingers just barely losing grip
Balloon floating out of reach
String swaying in the breeze
Engulfed by roaming cotton sheep
Sighing across the sky as they graze
Battered far by an angry howl
Drifting on a lazy whisper
Shriveled as it settles down
Finally to rest in a dreamy meadow
A flurry of feathers as a bird takes flight
The flap of its wing hissing goodbye

A trek well worn is
A journey much needed
A challenge never given to
A man unable to meet
A soft heart taken away is
A hardened resolve returned
**Never lose hope