I. Life is a beach.
I look forward, on the pure, unbroken, golden sand, smoothed down
to where the froth of the morning waves
lap softly up the sand.
The soothing sound of the gentle surf is music to my ears.
Coconut fronds wave slowly, in the pinky-blue of a sunrise.
Behind me, the sun is rising
Spreading the shadow of a giant on the blue water.
I am big enough to rule the world.

II. Life is a beach.
I'm halfway through it.
In front of me is unbroken sand, behind, a line of footprints.
Broken here and there, where I saw a seashell and went to pick it up.
The sea is at high tide. There is no wind
To stir the coconut fronds.
The sun is overhead
Casting a shadow which is smaller than me at my feet.
I am but a small shadow,
I am insignificant.

III. Life is a beach.
I look back
On a walk. On a straight line of footprints .
Some are washed out by the gentle, lapping sea,
It washes up and smooths the sand down.
It is as though no one has walked there.
Other places still bear the traces of my passing
The sun is behind me,
Big and red, it slowly sinks beyond the horizon.
The shadow of a giant lies in front of me.
It is too big, my feet are weary.
The beach has been nice, but now,
I think I shall go away from it.