A young and pretty girl sat

with elegance and grace,

pretending to be drinking tea

in soft pink bows and lace.

Her left hand held a parasol.

Her right hand held her tea -

when gust of wind had come along

and parasol flew free.

It's light and fragile beauty soared

along with ocean breeze -

drew notice of two pelicans

above the rippled seas.

She jumped up from her plastic chair

quite shocked at what occurred.

As wind gusts blew, it skipped along.

She chased it undeterred.

Her footprints in the pure white sand

had evidenced her will,

to catch that treasured parasol

that she was chasing still.

---

I wonder - do we race through life

for something temporal -

on our lone life's long endless beach,

chasing something futile?

I wonder - have we failed to see

our true priority -

at banquet table with our God

and His thirst-quenching tea?

Temptation's winds deceive us to

our pretty parasols.

Are we so busy chasing them

we're deaf when Jesus calls?

Past pelicans to parasols,

we chase those things we strive.

But woe to those of us who are -

when death and Christ arrive.

©2015 louis gander