The rise and ebb of civilizations
Like waves rolling up
On a long, shallow beach
Each wave believing
It will roll on forever
Each wave believing
It will roll on forever
I stop here
Often
To Wonder
To be
Tantalized
The burst of amber
Draws the eye
With its shameless
Brazen vibrance
I wondered who’d been here
Where had they gone
From where had they come
I followed the footfalls
Until their abrupt ending
Swallowed up by the sea
Depositing, Depositing, Depositing
On mounds and terraces
The beautiful stuff of Earth
Cools, solidifies, colours
Until I look again
And see the beauty
In the dilapidated
The strength
In the distressed
The resilience
In the rusted
I crouch down
Inch forward
Lie flat
Wiggle further
And as I near the very edge
A chalk covered hand
Comes over the top
Taking a firm grip
But if the coffee wakes me up
I remind myself to find a way
To reach a little further
Climb a little higher
Take another step forward
Carrying their openness
And prejudice
With equal tenacity
Conscious only
Of their openness
But Nature in all her ways
When left to her own devices
She paints and sculpts
Beauty undeniable
That is just the Way
The Dao, Nature’s way
Beautiful is
All that follows the Way