Lighthouses

Blaring their beacons

From crest to crest,

Saturating the beaches

With bursts of yellow,

Extending digits

In crisp cyclic slices

Across the chaos

Of white-tipped waves,

Frothing waters, and

The din of raindrops

Echoing roaring thunder.

Under storms they

Fail to shatter, deftly

Deflecting crashing waves

And absorbing wild winds,

Instead, serving as a guide

In mitigating panic,

Abolishing doubt, and

Establishing stability.

Without their strength,

Ships crash;

Without their courage,

Innocents suffer;

Without their sacrifice,

The seas would be

More dangerous,

More unforgiving,

More suffocating than

They already stand.

Experienced and worldly,

Covered in the crust

Of salted sea and

Fighting toward

Their victory,

Lighthouses survive.

But when the storm

Dies down and

The repairs commence,

Lighthouses prosper.