Another Shore - Drew Adams

Created 1/26/09

Floating down stream, by happenstance,
I met an older man
who told me I should go some more
until I hit the lighter sand.
I asked him why he should even care
that I should stop at either one.
He said to me to have some faith
and that I’d know when I was done.
I did as he said and I followed through,
all the way to the end.
I started out of the raft, and to my surprise,
the river made another bend.
“I wonder if I passed the sand,”
I said aloud in a worried voice.
“I guess I could just go some more,”
so I hopped in and made my choice.
I floated down that way again,
down that little stream,
I floated down so peacefully,
I slept and had a dream.
I stood nearby a lighter sand
and looked across the way.
I saw that man across the sea
and saw another bay.
It mimicked the side that I was on,
everything the same,
but I noticed that where I stood
was the side of death and pain.
I searched across that rugged sea
to find the man I saw,
but a deep, dense fog had obscured his face
that seemed to burn me raw.
I tried to run, but got nowhere,
the fog still burning my face.
It seemed as though I had done a wrong
to which it wouldn’t cease to chase.
I woke up from that awful dream
and saw the lighter sand.
I guess what that old man meant
was to choose, and not just stand.