In the Balance

by Lynn White

The building blocks were created

by a negative force,

the erosion of the cliff by the tide,

gradual at first

and then total collapse

after one mighty storm.

Then came a procession,

people walking along the beach,

surveying the damage like voyeurs

of destruction.

Later more people came

and began to reconstruct the debris

into finely balanced sculptures

defying gravity.

They built dozens of them,

almost a beach full.

They knew they would be washed away

eventually

and they knew they would rebuild them

eventually,

rebuild them higher,

higher and higher.

Creation or destruction,

it’s always in the balance.