Like the Waves That Bend the Trees

I watched a boat split water clear and calm
Across the lake one night at summer’s end;
The ripples, strong and fading fast, bent light
In semi-circles, bright and diamond-edged.
The lake looked black except for copied trees,
Reflected on the surface of the mere:
Evergreens, with boughs of woven threads,
And maples, decked with rows of whis’pring leaves.
I watched in silent reverie until
That which was faint revealed itself to me,
So still, yet beck’ning me to come along,
To live just like the waves that bend the trees:
Each life begins with ridges strong and sure,
But they fade fast as evil takes its toll;
And yet, their endings glitter in the light
With wisdom, given in this earthly veil.