Seabird

Seabird
I remember the day that I fell down on the shore, where I had so often gone to visit with my dreams of what would be But not this day, for I was too broken to ever want to rise again I just wanted to die quietly and gain some kind of release from those unrelenting torments of my shattered hopes and dreams I could even feel the numbness
begin to beckon me to sleep, perhaps to dream again Not that it mattered so much to me anymore But then something caught my eye, a darting movement down the shore just a few feet away from where I lay And in spite of my cold indifference, I became entranced by what I saw There was a little Seabird running back and forth in the surf, dueling with the waves which were rushing in and threatening to engulf it The Seabird seemed so tiny and fragile against these mighty fingers of the ocean, but it never once failed to rush into harm's way in a dedicated search for what it was seeking Surprising myself, I began to admire its courage and determination while I silently began to root for it I was never sure whether or not it actually found what it was after, but somewhere in this silent vigil I found what was missing in me As I finally rose to my knees with tears of understanding streaming down my cheeks, I thanked God for sending this sign of his love and compassion to a pilgrim who had lost his sight, perspective, and faith for a time
Dennis J Hopkins
09/2002