Turning Tides

I watch as they come rushing,

gushing, billowing, receding

and I emptied my mind,

threw my troubles away

while my soul danced,

I sat on my favorite ledge.

In a moment I was entranced

as they ferried food for my bleeding soul.

He who was wise beyond his years,

who must have swirled and twirled

with these ever rolling waves,

in and out of caves,

relentless and boundless,

told me to listen to the tides.

In them were messages for me

“What did you see ahead of you?” he asked?

“Why do you think the water rose and curled?”

These waves are like the challenges of life.

When you think you’re done with one,

another one comes along and yet another still.

Some will knock you over,

others will lift you up,carry you over the rise.

Others will calm you down,

lull you to peaceful rest.

I missed the high tide with its endless whoosh

and crash against the rocks.

But he made me understand

That the low tide had its own offering,

a quiet moment to pause and to listen,

to meditate, reflect and confide

to clear my head,

take stock of my emotions

and clear mental blocks.

Yes the tides turn don’t they?

Today you are on a high,

tomorrow between ebb and flow.

And the army keeps coming at you,

confusing you, confounding you.

Yet they also bring  nutrients to nourish

and the mighty ones become smaller,

smoothing out and following a defining row.

So the next time I come I’ll remember

that the tides are a blend of life’s rich meaning,

constantly conspiring

to tell me the things I need to know,

the lessons I need to learn

from the deep wisdom of the ocean.

Sometimes we bare our souls.

Other times we remain unfathomable.

He asked the what and why questions,

I asked how come, what if this and what if that?

And I don’t come away with all the answers,

but I’m consoled in the fact

that I am not alone.

The universe has many forces

If we believe.