Skipping Stones

Skipping Stones

Gliding over my surface strong
Barely touching down
Gleefully passing along

Till momentum’s rest bid them
Meet their silent death

“A stone well thrown”
One may say,
And I breathe a sigh
No ripple was shown

A proud and graceful fall
And not a ripple felt at all

All is well
Because no ripple caused a swell

Alas, a plunk
Who threw that?
A splash, a commotion
Not a peaceful motion

Ah, but for a moment there is still
Has the hurt of the plunk passed by with no ill?

But for an instance I hope
Until I know that, nope,

My surface has a ripple,
A big giant swell
And all is not well

The quiet seemed real,
Why did it pass?
After all, for this swell, I did not ask.

And then for a minute,
Longer this time
Quiet appears, the commotion long past
Forget that ripple – it went by fast!

I think all ‘tis the way that it was
Until I doubt it ‘cause

My surface has a ripple,
Smaller this time,
Yet it persists
And by now I am cryin’

Oh, why another ripple?
The stone has long sunk
And I would have just thunk

That a stone that drowned so long ago
Wouldn’t make such a persistent show

But, wait, there it is –
Rest comes again
Just like it was
Way back then

No stone, no splash,
No plunk, no swell
Surely by now all is well

Yet then I’m reminded,
That my quiet is numbered -
With a ripple rudely awakened while slumbered

An hour, a day,
A month, a year
Each time longer,
Each time stronger

Until

The ripple is lost in the sea
That is no longer me

And my will
Is still