The Steam

                             Tumbled, the glass half-empty is shattered.
                             The splatter, through sharp shards, seeps through the floor,
                             finding dirt below that which had mattered.
                             Mud with flooding rains, toward the stream’s roar-

                             Tumbled by lightening flash and thunderclap,
                             entering the stream with source flowing rain.
                             Over the bank by unnatural slap,
                             hitting the water with tremendous pain-

                             Carrying the debris brought in with the flow,
                             bumping the bottom, heading out to sea.
                             A turbulent new course to the unknown-
                             Uncharted waters, churning in a plea-

                             What poured through the cracks is forever gone,
                             flowing to the sea of “No Turning Back.”
                             Sorrow and fear swim the river to spawn
                             give birth to pain, turning the water black.

                             The route to the sea forks along the way,
                             at the meander, to “No Turning Back”
                             or flowing to a tributary bay,
                             below “Forgiveness Falls,” out of the black.

                             The sea is filled with bitter salty tears
                             shed by sorrow and fear giving pain birth.
                             “Forgiveness Falls” forms the bay of “Lost Fears.”
                             Swimming within the bay is new self-worth.

                             The sea affords swimming in the same dark.
                             But below the cleansing falls swims hope’s glance,
                             dulling shard marks, giving life a small spark
                             and removed from pain's trance, taking a chance.

                             As the sea, there’s no way back from the bay,
                             once in the stream, being never the same.
                             For better or worse, days flow a new way,
                             but below the falls hope is there to claim.