Ripples in the Stream
By Apolinario B Villalobos
(A special reblog for Anna/oneanna65)
I have always been fascinated
by the stream –
mesmerized by the murmur
that the flowing water makes
as a pebble is thrown into it,
and as the current hits a rock,
as if protesting the presence
that hinders
its smooth journey
along the crevice of the earth.
The gentle touch of a dragonfly,
the sudden appearance of a fish’s snout,
the splash of swimming children,
the soft touch of a falling leaf,
the sudden gust of wind,
the trickles of incessant rain –
cause the ripples that rupture
the earth’s gently flowing stream.
Now that I am old,
I realized
that God has reasons
for everything,
so He gave us intelligence
to understand them all
without any misgiving.
Indeed, just like a stream
that gets dented with ripples,
challenges and trials
make us cry in anguish;
and like a stream
that just keeps on flowing
there is nothing we can do
but go on living…
If the stream can keep on flowing,
so should we –
let our lives flow
along the crevice of destiny.
Just like a stream
that joins the rest down its path
giving life along its way
towards the sea,
so must we …
help others with sincerity
as we meld with them
towards our destiny.
(At 65, Anna lives in pain due to swollen joints and other parts of her body. Fearful to receive radiation and drug prescriptions if she goes to a doctor, she tries her best to make do with natural remedies. Sometimes she does not know if she will ever wake up to another day. But her courage and strong faith in God gives her the strength to draw sustaining breath of life despite the accompanying pain.)