Live your life,
he said to me,
among the ocean breeze
of seaside songs
and fronds of palm
that waved in soft, wistful greens.

Pine if you must,
he said to me,
but please don’t pine with length – –
this life that you have
is yours to embrace
and I want your heart
to be free.

Weep if you will
he said to me,
but please don’t weep too bitterly – –
for your ocean songs
hold joy as well,
and you were meant
to sing of the beauty.

Life your life,
he said to me,
grief may be a necessity – –
but so is love
and light
and grace,
and your soul has
the right to be happy.

What should I do?,
I’m lost without you,
I said to the clouds
and the sky and the trees.

Then there he was
keeping time with the sea,
the sun shining down
mitigating my grief,
a presence of love
on the gold of our beach,
and this is what
he told me – –

You’re never alone,
I still walk beside thee.
So carry on little sister.
And live your life.

(Artist, Paul Mitchell, “Children on Beach 5”)