Ripples

“People say, what is the sense of our small effort? They cannot see that we must lay one brick at a time, take one step at a time. A pebble cast into a pond causes ripples that spread in all directions. Each one of our thoughts, words and deeds is like that. No one has a right to sit down and feel hopeless. There is too much work to do.”
― Dorothy Day

The Ragtag Daily Prompt this morning was RIPPLES.

My thoughts went in two different directions: I considered writing a verse about the ripples you will see in natural settings…and then I pondered the philosophical angle, where RIPPLES symbolize the power of example. Particularly the influence that a good example can have. How many individuals have carried out a work which has blessed the whole world?

I opted for the “ripples as a symbol of influence” angle and chose the quote by Dorothy Day. Whoever she is or was, her thought is a wise one. And I’m going to add my own mini-poem on this subject. The verse I wrote about natural ripples I’ll save for another post. 🙂

This world is full of ripples
and each of us must choose
the ones we’ll be a part of,
to win at life, or lose.

Some lives have left a swelling
of blessings for us all
while some leave sad examples
how far a man can fall.

Each ring will ripple outward
toward some final end:
the eulogy of “enemy”
or accolades of “friend.”