Riptide
By John Herlihy

I always try to follow the straight path,
To avoid undue ruts in life’s aftermath.

Still tributaries exist sinuous, crooked,
That lead down paths ominous, wicked.
If we take a false step, we must beware,
Outcomes emerge, little mercy to spare.
Often, unconsciously, we make a mistake,
The puzzle is scrambled, hard to remake.

We swim on through life’s deep oceans,
To drink the elixir of life’s secret potions.
We ignore any danger of being drowned,
Tied to a heavy anchor and firmly bound.
God knows each day has a different name;
That nothing in the world stays the same.

Evils tempt us we should avoid at all cost;
Otherwise we run the risk of ending up lost.
Beware of all unseen currents of the riptide,
Dragged to unforeseen depths, wide-eyed.
Some currents forge a compelling stream,
Leading us far away from what we deemed.

Ah, life’s treacherous riptides run aground,
They drag us away and then we are drowned.