Tear
A tiny drop rolled off a leaf and, falling free and fast
Thought "What bliss- what peacefulness! How long does this life last?"
A tiny child sat underneath, a cup fixed in his hand
Half-filled with cool eternity where the drop might land
Close by, a trillion years away, a man was burning leaves
The ashes floating skyward like in the wisps upon the breeze
They passed the falling drop and smiled and waved and cried aloud -
"Join in! Come with us, we're - we're goin' up to make a cloud!"
Now the tiny drop huffed and yelled, "My place in fate's not up!
My destiny is fallin' with a plop inside that cup!"
It was then a passing fly called, "How, friend from my old life!
Remember me? The thirsty gnat? And you, the piece of ice?"
"I've always been a falling drop!" the drop plunged on to say
"You never used to be a gnat - you're just a fly today!"
And, turning inward, closed his ears, while keeping on his course
He never heard the wind come riding up upon his horse
"Hello theeere, drop!" the wind announced. The drop recoiled from fear
And cried, "Don't blow me from my path! Eternity is near!"
"Eternity is everywhere," the laughing wind did wheeze
"and my destiny is blowing you into those burning leaves."
Now, before the tiny drop could cry, there was the softest sizzle
And the tender voice of Mother Fire said, "Welcome, little drizzle!
Soon I must be going out - my destiny is near
And you, my son, the magic one, must be the perfect tear."
Now, the tiny drop - the tiny drop felt restful as he looked out on the sky
And thought, "I have the feeling that I'm in somebody's eye!
This must be perfection - perfection! Such a feeling's just begun!
I'm slowly rolling down a cheek and splashing on the sun!"
Now this, my friends, is just a tale of cups and drops and dreams
Where whatever happens happens is the way it seems to seem
And never are you fixed, but always going on -
Like splashing tears that take the form of dew upon the dawn