A Boy Like Him

A startling crash breaks the silence of his thoughts,
The drops thundering down on his bare head.
The wave is grasping at the beach,
Tying desperately to escape the sin it is committing.
From the shore the cracking of wet timber is heard,
The ocean swallows its prey.
And the little boy watches; helpless, numb.
His hat lies half buried underneath the sand,
Miles from its home.
And the little boy watches; helpless, numb.

A mocking fog blocks his empty stare,
Filling every crevice, leaving a shiver in his spine.
A distant plea is heard in the air.
The rock is sharp against his back.
The water, cold and merciless;
It is ruining his father’s Sunday best.
And the boy watches; helpless, numb.
A tear joins the rain eroding the features of his face,
But nobody notices.
And the boy watches; helpless, numb.

Behind his lifeless stare is a little girl laughing,
Dressed in pink with a bow in her hair.
But farther back, suppressed and hidden,
She stands in black, a rose in her hand,
Her hair is ripped by the wind.
Behind her is nothing but darkness.
And the man watches; helpless, numb.
The ocean has flooded to his knees
It leaves no feeling but the pain of the stone in his back
And the man watches; helpless, numb.