For three special Mothers, Mama Mia, dear Joan and my sweet niece Nicola We Lived Together By The Sea : Crashing Dwelling by the sweet seashores, Aware of changing tides, Seeing waters ebb and flow Whilst white waves subside, Bathing in the sunlit years And blessed with splashing joys, Basking by the blue coastline: Gorgeous girls, brazen boys. Naively watching, waiting, Dread crashing waves arrive, Then claiming all their treasures, Stunned stones; alone we cry. Not stolen, only hidden, Abiding in our hearts, Perfect pebbles washed away, Inscribed with sanctus marks. With every beat, we see them: Through thoughts and dreams and prayers; Wild waters overwhelm us, Black breakers swelling cares. Behind the dark, 'kind shadows', All things unseen but known, Intangible perceptions Of fertile seeds pre-sown. The raging billows passing, White horses, peaceful shore: Bright eyes search the horizon, Brimming with hope once more. Again the waters parting, Cleared path for us to tread, The once-crushed roses blooming O'er rainbow where they led. David J. Beale