Elements of a Lifetime

First we are water
A path so rarely chosen, yet it defines us so
Quick to boil, easy to freeze
Perpetually thawing, even as rains repay the vapor
Shallow and deep, quiet and loud, calm and tumultuous
Consistent only in our inconsistency
When we are water

Next we are fire
Ablaze with passions real and imagined
Whole worlds fall to ash within a fiery embrace
Many flee the inferno, others stubbornly burn where they stand
Until only those precious few remain, dancers betwixt the flame
Promethean souls who gain from our matchless utility and infinite warmth
When we are fire

Then we are wind
A soft wail bemoaning all that is lost, a furious howl celebrating what remains
Akin to the ghost of a memory, drifting through ruin and rebirth alike
Straining to affect that which can never be held inside our vaporous grip
Endlessly venturing forth to spread seeds like some dusty Bedouin
A warm breeze, a cold shiver, we touch all and are similarly touched
When we are wind

At the end we are earth
Solid, dependable, distinct; our mind, our spirit a firmament
That which we have sown envelopes us now in a rich and vibrant ecosystem
Where those dwelling in our hearts are shielded by love stronger than stone
Water, fire and wind create a life’s mural, unique as any snowflake
Informing, never governing, for we are immutable, we stand where we choose
When we are earth