Life's Restless River

Lying helpless on this raft,
            Rushing down Life’s rocky river,
      Am I but tossed about.

                  The unforgiving torrents rush me about,
            Never quite stopping long enough to catch my breath.

Though some days might I find myself
            floating on the calmest of creeks,
      all the time in the world,
            But no peace by which to enjoy it.

Where does this river stop?
                  When are its questions answered?
            When will I be able to sit and appreciate
      the river’s constant, subtle flow?

Surely there is a time,
            though it may seem distant.
Surely such a time has been set for me.

So I tie myself down,
            Grasping the ropes of a shaky vessel,
      Biding my time,
            That I might see the day
                  On which I might find rest.

So take me dear river.
      Lead me on,
            Through your twists and turns,
                  Your stillness and anxiety.

I await the day you deliver me to my destination,
      Having been primed by your consistent blows,
            And ready to take on the world.
                                - end -

        - March 6, 2006