Art of Exploration

 Afternoon light on restless water,

shadows cast by small children

investigating this expanse of shell, seaweed and sand.

A young boy diligently carries a spadeful of sand across the beach

depositing it for his own good reason some distance away.

He is of course dreaming of building and conquest,

and rightly so for this is his inheritance

in the wider scheme of things,

and his actions privately comprehended

will move towards more tangible outcomes in later life.

He shows determination to explore,

to cross river boundaries and climb mountains

in his imagination

as he navigates this new found beach.

As adults we often lose the art of exploration

as we settle for our narrow familiar worlds,

and wander not beyond the commonplace

of our own seemingly stable lives.