Epiphany on a Stormy Morning

Yun Wang

Three billion seconds of life 

each a wave in the ocean  

pulsing against bonds  

of gravity. 

Shattered into foam. 

Reborn again. 

Whisper or weep. 

Roar in laughter. 

Wait long enough, 

the ocean comes close. 

Each jade petal unfurls 

beyond refusal. 

Everything that shall be  

already exists. 

Three billion possibilities 

each a note in polyphony. 

Tides scour 

tiny caps and empty bottles, 

tourist artifacts. 

Sargasso bulbs highlight  

swept-up sea jungle. 

Each holds memories forgotten. 

Loneliness is an empty beach  

on a stormy morning. 

Glossy black pebbles dent  

the wet-sand mirror. 

Seagulls flying in formation  

could be a sign  

or merely a reminder. 

Between all and nothing 

an ocean thunders.