Pebble

It's the sharp reminder of a gravel path,
a forced pause to divest oneself
of a shoe--a sock--a boot..
whatever causes pain.
It's the grit round which an oyster
layers its nacre and builds its pearl,
the beginning of something beautiful;
it's the smooth hard 'good luck'
one carries in a pocket, just in case--
whose solid weight holds memory.
It is the center of the
widening round of ripples in the pond:
a point of contact that,
molecule by molecule,
impact upon impact,
spreads its effect
beyond its point of origin
to kiss an infinite shore.

A reminder, a pause, a foundation;
a charm, a source, an influence--
of one sort or another,
we are all pebbles.