Sand-dollars; treasure the lost

“I’ve been searching for a sand-dollar all of my life…”

I’ve walked up and down many a sandy shore

At every beach I’ve been, since I was four

hopefully searching in every tide

but no unbroken sand-dollar can I find.

Where the deep sea and dry earth join,

can be found this intricate and delicate coin;

so highly valued by the mermaids of deep,

yet, carelessly crushed by human feet.

Sometimes, life strikes me as being so unfair-

that these coins are washed before those who don’t care!

while I wait eagerly to discover, just one!

but instead, I’m just getting burned by the sun.

Why must irony make such a fool of desire?

crushing the dreams to which we aspire?

Child, choose more than one treasure for which to reach;

lest, chance not wash that one shell upon your beach.

If you want a piece of that twinkle in the sky

start collecting star dust, ‘cuz u’ll never reach that high

… no amount of my quarters, nickles or dimes,

can buy a sand-dollar from the ocean’s tide.

Earth-men and Mer-folk no longer communicate.

Broken remnants are now all that connects our states.

Sunken pirate-ships, and sand-dollars washed on the shore;

& neither WE, nor THEY, believe in the other any more…

No unbroken sand-dollar have I ever found,

only pieces, mere  pieces, strewn on the ground

where the dry earth clashes with the sea ~

but pieces, mere pieces, are plenty enough…

more than enough for me.

~Lianna J.D.

Ultimately

and even if i could… i wouldn’t change a thing…

because for reasons not understood, it was meant to be…

the lessons i’ve learned, the tears i’ve wept,

the pain and hurt.., they were all for the best.

it’s hard looking back, at all that i’ve done wrong,

then realizing that now is my chance- to prove that i’m strong…

the battle was lost,

but the war still rages on,

& despite the high cost,

this book has more pages to write upon

It’s gone.

it’s yesterday.

here’s the dawn,

this is today!

it’s illuminating my future,

it’s burning away my sorrow.

and what my past days were

don’t matter, cuz it’s about tomorrow…

…. it was all for a reason, it was all for the best.

&  i’m not saying i don’t wish to forget,

and i’m not trying to suggest

that sometimes i don’t regret…

BUT GOD KNOWS WHAT HE’S DOING

& AS BIG AS MY MISTAKES MAY BE,

I’M NOWHERE NEAR GREAT ENOUGH

TO DESTROY LOVE’S ULTIMACY

Cutting hearts into the Sun..

this could possibly be one of the most cliche poems I’ve ever written… Just the same, I find it worthy of posting.

Cutting hearts into the sun

With fingers curled round

Connected thumb to thumb

Making shadows on the ground

Playing tag in the sand

He reaches out & grabs her hand

He captures her in his arms

Both her body & her heart

As they lie there side by side

Clouds floating overhead

that he’d always seen as shapeless

became dragons & unicorns instead

She begs him to dance with her

Right there, on the beach alone.

He says “there ain’t no music playin’.”

She says, “We’ll make our own!”

How did she get him here?

Twirling her to no tune,

hearing himself singing softly,

Under that late july moon?

He never thought himself a fool

he’s always had things under control

But he’d never been so captivated,

so confused by such a precious soul.

Strolling with fingers intertwined

The wind plays with her hair

She carries a seashell away with her…

“It will be my little piece of here.”

Just before they turn around

with city lights dim and distant

nothing could have prepared him

for the power of that instant

He’d never been so unsure

This was his perfect chance..

heart pounding against his ribs

He’s lost in a mesmerized trance

Her eyes are glittering stars

the waves break against the pier.

Her face shines so sweetly,

and he tries to hide his fear.

reaching behind her head gently..

he’d never felt a connection so deep.

When their lips merely touched,

his heart woke up from its sleep

she captured his love that night

a promise he sincerely kissed

She was not the first; yet was the only

to whom that promise he meant.

Where before there was silence

Now his heart sings songs

Where before he was searching

Now his heart belongs

Where before he was blinded

Now hearts are cut in the sun

Where before there was pain,

now that hurt has been undone

Where before his life was shapeless

Now there is magic in the sky.

And where before he was dead,

Now she has brought him back to life…

She holds that seashell to her ear

weeks & miles from that night

Listening to the same waves as he is

lying under the same moonlight

Hearts cut out of the sun

Shine brightly in the sea

Connected soul to soul;

hearts dancing for eternity

I pray… you speak

I pray… you speak

but I can’t hear your voice

your call… is lost

in the lies & deafening noise

I want to have ears to hear

I want to have eyes to see

I want to have wisdom to discern

What you are asking of me

Grant me the heart to love fully

Give me the courage to go

Give me the strength to forgive

Give me the knowledge to know

Let me find holiness

Ears to hear & eyes to see

the words you whisper

&  your vision for me

Give me the passion to serve

Give me the faith to believe

Give wisdom to discern

Give me the hunger to seek

I beg for the prayer to pray

I beg for the trust to obey

Lord, I seek the truth to share

I seek the willingness to change

I pray… you speak

I begin to hear

Your call… is found

In the absence of my fear

Let me understand what you want

What you want for me…

Thank you for this glimpse

of what this picture’s meant to be…

Some dusks are perfect

I sauntered along a little dirt path, that paralleled that vast Texas river. Across the wide water, towered cliffs that had been cut jagged with time. Like liquid glass, the water wiggled & reflected bright rays of sunshine. My side of the river was not three feet from where the water circled around the tall oak roots. Strange vines with berries, and flowery bushes lined the wild path made by the deer.

I was slightly distracted by the clear sky’s dazzling colors changing when I stumbled over a large, flat rock. These are quite common in the Texas hill-country. Our dirt is more like a thin powder over boulders & rocks. This particular grey & white plate was the size of maybe three elevator rooms. And it jutted over the side of the lake.

It was burning hot, of course. So i splashed some water on top to cool it off before sitting down. I pulled off my sandals and dangled my feet into the crystal clear waters below. A rush of cool relief relaxed my damp body. I love the heat, I do. And I don’t mind at all when the back of my shirt sticks to my back, and a film of sweat trickles around my face; but it sure does feel wonderfully refreshing to have that water cool me off. I splash some on my face and the back of my neck as well.

Then I lay back on my elbows & gaze at the sunset again.

I love sunsets….

They never are dragged out, but they don’t rush. They have such a wonderful array of glowing hues. The day is over and no one can make it, or any of the stress in it come back…. One more page from the calender that will be tucked away in history forever…

As the last ray of light faded over the distant horizon, the moon arose on cue. At my feet a second sky shimmered in the waters, stars and all. I couldn’t help myself. I was hot and sweaty anyway.

I slipped in, and swam in that perfect Texas summer night sky… Does that count as flying?

Bottle in the Ocean

There’s a bottle tossed in the ocean

My heart is the note inside

Seeing destruction & storms all around me

But safe in my own little life

—

I wrote a plea for help

& desperately corked myself in

knowing my only chance to find it

would be a life or death risk

—

& the winds rage

& the moon casts spells,

the lightning strikes

& storms swell

—

the dolphins leap

& the waves roar

till my bottle is hurled

onto a jagged shore

—

gripped by the clutches of shells & rocks

held captive at the mercy of the sea

….here it rests, & here I wait

for someone to come find & rescue me.

—

From my crevice, looking out-

I’ve seen so many sights & scenes.

My sighs are lost amid the ocean’s roar

I just hope someday, someone sees

—

Someone climbing & scaling

Will see me stuck in the cliff

& uncorking the bottle unroll,

& read the message my heart has bled

onto that sacred scroll

—

oh, climber, oh fisher, oh man of the cliffs

oh fighter, oh hunter, oh whoever he is

please read & understand my heart’s message

& if you can, please, deliver it

—

deliver it to whom it might concern

deliver it to where the answer lies;

then tell him to find a ship & set sail

to where my empty body tries

—

where I try to live each day for you

remaining loyal, remaining true

as I try to stay pure so that when you arrive

I have everything to offer you; or, so my empty body tries

—

Someday my heart will be read & set free

Someday, my beloved will come to me

Someday, oh someday, I will no longer be

In a lonely bottle, tossed in the sea.

~ ~ ~

written by: Lianna Daniel, 2010