Upstream

Some lives are
like those of salmon
struggling upstream
fighting rapids
darting through shallows
then to fly up the salmon ladders
only to tumble down
again and again
until they reach
the calm water
where in their ripeness
they spill their eggs and seeds
to carry on their line.
Their destiny fulfilled
they die leaving their bodies
lifelessly drifting
in the eddies of the river.

Some lives are
like those of the dolphins
exploring the vast expanses
of the oceans,
frolicking
in the safety of their pod,
their tribe,
singing the song
of love,
oft guiding a human
to the safety of the shore,
their lives a dance
of grace beneath the waves
and in the air.

Ah, to be salmon
swimming upstream
with youthful vigor
and then
in the wisdom of my years
to be a dolphin
in the pacific ocean
of time eternal.