I’m holding a handful of sand

A strong gale blows; waves crash up on my feet

I take a step forward, to embark on life’s journey

Each step I stumble; My fingers tremble with unease

Grains slip through my grasp and are blown out of my life

Yet I still leap and lunge for what I’ll never hold again

After a lifetime’s expedition, my voyage comes to an end

I cross the finish line and fall to my weathered knees

I stare at my cupped hands and the lack of sand that remains

Dismayed, I wonder how I’ve lost so much since I started

But then I realize, the grains that could withstand

Such chaos, such mayhem, such faltering

Are the only ones truly worth keeping