As I
walked along the beach that night,
I felt music.
Earlier, the beach had been bustling with people.
But now
Empty
And I feel music
Down to my very core.
The sunset.
The high, light yellows and pinks.
And the deep, passionate blues and violets.
And the warm red, getting darker, sinking,
Down to the sea.
The water laughs.
The ocean teems with life inside.
Happy, playful dolphins, manatees,
Sad whales mourning for a lost one.
The lonely sound of empty shells washing up dead on the beach.
The sand, with each grain's repeating melody
Let loose and it becomes part of the harmony
As it dissolves.
And the sharks.
And the blood lust.
I feel the dissonance of war.
The minor sorrow of blood.
The loud racket of murder.
The quiet, painful music of cancer's victims
Slipping into dark.
The music clashes.
Make it stop!
It encompasses the world.
I can see it, just above the clouds.
I can feel its sweet simple music.
The final notes slip into the chord.
The painful sounds become harmonious.
The world is at peace.
-A. Schardl
1998