FOREVER FOR A MINUTE
I was building a sand castle
As the sun upon the waves
Became a wand of crystal rays
I looked at wrinkled fingers
All speckled with golden sand
Was the universe in the palm of my hand
Then a shell
With nothing in it
Made me think
Of the infinite
And it felt like forever
For a minute
Then I gazed into a spyglass
Through the clouds above the coast
Where ancient stars give up the ghost
It was then the billowed sail
Of the moon came into view
A phantom galleon with a skeleton crew
My ship was old and leaking
But not headed for the shore
It was bound to sail till it could no more
You may think the journey's over
When you've finally sighted land
And empty shells wash up on the sand
© 1997 Stefan des Lauriers