'Til Dawn
By Ruhani

Digging towards a foreign land,

hoping for light beneath the sand.

 

Wilting, wilting, on this earth
Aren’t we all just sifting – dirt
trying to find if we are remains
of greed, or if greed rose today

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Risking, flimsy, on the lake
Lifeboat’s made of straw! some say
(Not enough for all to float)
That is when we turn to clay

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Building, rising, up above
the thought that there is not enough
The worst that happens, crash & burn
back to earth where we’ll return

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Then digging, searching, as we did;
Our children’s children lost again

Thank God we tried, thank God they'll find
this little light we left for them:

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Our calloused hands were caked with clay
from building up this truth we laid–
Greed was here but we fought on
against the storm of fear ‘til dawn.

 

I was three, my brother five, loving the beach, wary of the tide

crumbling sandcastles, counting to ten, a prayer to ruin, then starting again

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digging towards a foreign land, hoping for light beneath the sand.

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