Dad Versus the Red Sea

There’s a place where the waves come in,

closer at first, then further away.

Perched on a rock,

he ponders life’s great mysteries.

The taste of salt water in the air,

as waves like eels slither closer again.

Maybe it’s Moses,

pondering the vastness before him,

salt water on the air,

the cold water shocking his toes,

and so, he waves his wand,

as waves part closer at first, then further away.

He still sits there millennia later,

maybe hoping the Sea will part again,

and make clear what it’s all about,

as the waves come in,

pressing salt against his cheeks,

closer at first, then further away.

He still sits there five years later,

arrived in the Promised Land now.

Grief like waves,

brings him closer at first, then further away.

The salt water streaming down my cheeks,

I look for him, and ponder life’s great mysteries.

Father’s Day, 2017

By Brent Newberry