As I sit on the sand at sunset,
And watch the white caps-cold-
See the blue sky turn to crimson,
And the blue sea turn to gold,
Two small boats ride before me;
The beautiful one, and light,
Passes the plain, heavy freighter
And laughs back in her flight.
Then the sky grows dark and gloomy,
And the sea is a furious path
Where all who would ride upon it
Must fight the tempest's wrath.
The light craft is sorely shaken,
Is tossed upon the shore,
But the plain, old, solid freighter
Sails right on as before.
Almost as soon as it started,
The sea and the sky are still.
The moon peeps out in wonder
Behind the shadowy hill.
And I see all of Life's beauty,
All of her joy and pain,
For the fast, gay soul is stranded there,
But the strong soul moves on again.