The gentle tide halts
For each light yet firm footprint,
As the child plucks gems
Nestled in the shore.

Her eyes
Like droplets of fresh dew
Ripe with promise.
Reflecting
Wonders of the Earth –
An ocean soaked in radiance
Golden streaks weaved
Into the innocent sky,
As a gentle breeze
Cradles her laughter
Through all depths of the waters.

The same waves flicker the shore,
Yet those eyes
Are never quite the same.
No longer brilliant
But tainted by time.
Her pace is slow,
For she must watch for the relentless tides
Before a solemn, setting sun.

But the resounding laughter echoes
As the tide recedes,
Exposing the treasures
For just one second,
Before renewing the shore
Once more.